Stephen at Superwild · 23 September 2026

The CMA Order comes into force today: what UK dog owners need to know

From today, the Competition and Markets Authority's veterinary services Order is legally binding for the six large UK corporate vet groups. Smaller veterinary businesses have an additional three months to comply. This is the biggest set of consumer reforms in UK veterinary practice in decades, and it directly puts £200 to £700 a year back in the pocket of the average dog owner with a chronic prescription.

Here is what changes, what stays the same, and how to use the new rules to save real money this week.

The six reforms

1. Your vet must tell you medication is often cheaper online

Before dispensing a prescription medicine in clinic, the practice must inform you that the same product is usually available more cheaply from an online pharmacy. This is a spoken disclosure during the consultation; some practices will also include it on dispensary labels and price lists.

2. Written prescriptions on request, fee capped at £21 (+£12.50 per extra medicine)

You can ask for a written prescription for any medication your dog is on. Your vet must provide it. The fee is capped at £21 for the first medicine on the prescription and £12.50 for each additional medicine on the same prescription. Two medicines on one prescription is £33.50 total; three is £46.

Bundling medicines onto a single prescription is the cheapest legitimate path. If your dog is on Apoquel and Metacam, ask the vet to put both on one prescription rather than two.

3. Top-10 most-sold products price list

Every practice must display a price list for the products they sell most. In practice this means parasiticides (Bravecto, NexGard, Advocate, Milbemax, Frontline, Seresto) and the most-common prescription medications. The list must be visible to clients before dispensing.

4. Corporate ownership disclosure

Many UK practices trade under independent-sounding brand names but are owned by one of six large groups: CVS, IVC, Linnaeus, Medivet, Pets at Home and VetPartners. From today these practices must disclose their corporate ownership during consultations. You can ask, and they must tell you.

5. Written estimate for treatment over £500

Any treatment plan likely to exceed £500 must come with a written estimate, broken down by item, before work commences. This protects against bill shock and gives you time to compare options.

6. Mandatory complaints process

Every practice must publish a clear complaints process and the route to escalate to the RCVS. This already existed but was inconsistently signposted; from today it is mandatory and standardised.

What the savings actually look like

Specific numbers, indicative pricing as of May 2026, for a 15 kg dog:

• Apoquel 5.4 mg: ~£90/month at the average UK vet practice, ~£44/month online. Annual saving £552 — net of one £21 prescription fee, £531/year.
• Vetmedin (or generic Cardisure): ~£55/month vet, ~£25/month online. Annual saving £360 — net £339/year.
• Gabapentin 100 mg: ~£28/month vet, ~£9/month online. Annual saving £228 — net £207/year.
• Galliprant 60 mg: ~£62/month vet, ~£32/month online. Annual saving £360 — net £339/year.
• Pexion 100 mg: ~£65/month vet, ~£33/month online. Annual saving £384 — net £363/year.

A senior dog on Apoquel, Vetmedin and gabapentin saves over £1,000 a year by following the new rules. The CMA's own quoted figure of "many could save £200 a year or more" is a conservative average.

How to use the new rules — the practical four-step sequence

1. Email your vet today. Ask for a written prescription for your dog's ongoing medication. Use the template at prescription-guide. Mention that you intend to bundle multiple medications onto a single prescription if relevant.
2. Pay the prescription fee. £21 for the first medicine, plus £12.50 for each additional medicine on the same prescription.
3. Compare prices. Use the per-medication calculator on this site for each drug, or the annual savings calculator for a combined view. We only list VMD-approved UK online pharmacies.
4. Order from the cheapest pharmacy. Upload or post your prescription. Most online pharmacies dispense within 24-48 hours. Subsequent monthly refills are instant once your prescription is on file.

What we're watching next

• RCVS price comparison service launch. Required by the Order. We expect this in early 2027. It will show what each vet practice charges. Vet Bill Saver remains the consumer-friendly companion that shows what each online pharmacy charges.
• Practice compliance audits. The CMA has signalled it will audit high-revenue practices for compliance with the new disclosure rules. Expect published findings in late 2026.
• Smaller practices' 3-month extension. Independent practices have until late December 2026 to comply. Owners of dogs registered at independent practices should still ask for written prescriptions today — most independents are already aligned with the spirit of the Order.
• Cap indexation. The £21 and £12.50 figures are not yet indexed to inflation. We'll cover any updates here.

One last thought

The CMA Order is the regulator doing what the regulator can do. The remaining piece is owners actually using the new rights — asking for the prescription, switching to a VMD-approved online pharmacy, and saving the money the law now puts within reach. We've spent six months building Vet Bill Saver to make that step trivial. Today is the day to use it.

Sources: CMA Final Report (24 March 2026) and accompanying press release at gov.uk. RCVS Code of Professional Conduct. VMD register of approved internet retailers. More on the CMA reforms.

Stephen at Superwild is the founder of Vet Bill Saver. Superwild Ltd is registered in England and Wales, company number 17138850.