FREE prescriptions imminent!

[babyboos]

It is now looking very likely indeed that vets will have to offer prescriptions FREE OF CHARGE by law from the end of October.



The DTI website carries some information on this:



http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics2/vetmeds.htm



You may or may not be aware that there is huge review currently underway of the prescribing of UK veterinary medicines.



A previous Competition Commission enquiry found the current situation to be a complex monopoly.



As a result, new legislation should change this. One important change that has been proposed by the DTI, is that vets must offer prescriptions free of charge for 3 years - and advertise this fact. This is currently being contested but, should it come into force, it will be good news for customers.



Currently, vets are legally obliged to offer a prescription on request, as an alternative to dispensing the drug themselves. They may make a charge for this at the moment. However, this charge must be 'reasonable'. This is governed by the RCVS - the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (020) 7222 2001.



The new legislation is due to come into force in October this year.

[nooboo]

The charges vets manage to sneek into things has got stupid, it's time that they were made to stop. It's getting as bad as dentists.



Always reminds me of something my great aunts vet used to tell her... she had a Tibetan Terrier that had one eye removed and serious problems towards the end with another, was all tumours and eye problems, then became under weight, you name it. My great aunt used to pay out over 100 a month on his medications. The vet used to tell her how he was a "great vet's dog", always ill and never dies. Unfortunatly the vet was wrong, after 4 years of this sadly he died 4 months back.



Still after she told me that I can't help but picturing vets with a gleam in their eyes looking over sick animals, hoping for a "good vet's pet". I know vets are good hard working people, but some seem to be in it simply to cash in.

[Emma]

I can safely say that vets don't make millions out of what they do - and that things really do cost as much as they're charged for! Sometimes markups on drugs can seem a lot, but then you forget about all the overheads of running a practice and employing people.



All the veterinary organisations are against the free prescription thing (and are campaigning strongly at present) - basically we've been told that we should increase our consultation fees to take into account the loss of income! So everyone will be paying increased fees, whether they want the prescription or not. Loopy.

[babyboos]

Bit confused by this so hopefully I am not the only one :oops: We will still have to pay for the drugs themselves don't we, but the difference is we can get the actual piece of paper itself from the vet for free and then take it to one of these cheap, cut price online companies and buy our Prescription Only Medicines there? If we decided to buy the medicine from the vet instead it wouldn't be free otherwise the online companies would go out off business and they are hailing this new law as an end to the monopoly on POMs by vet surgeries and welcoming its introduction?

[Emma]

Yes it's the bit of paper that is the prescription, you still have to pay for drugs. The problem is that vet surgeries put mark ups on drugs to cover costs in other areas that cut-price online pharmacies don't have. So if they lose income from selling the drugs themselves, they charge for the prescription (I think we should be entitled to do this, it's a professional certificate with our signature on). At the end of the day clients are going to end up paying the same vet fees whether they are labelled "professional" (consultations etc) or "drugs" the practices have to cover their costs in some way, there's no NHS for animals.



I really dislike internet pharmacies - in the US they have been known to provide generic drugs rather than the brand drug prescribed (therefore making themselves more money), amongst other sneaky things. It's just the principle that they are there to make a profit, not for the benefit of your pet as the vet is. I'd rather spend my money supporting my vet than a money-making scheme.

[babyboos]

Would the charge for signing the piece of paper be in addition to the consultation fee they would obtain for seeing the animal before providing the prescription. I totally agree they should see the animal before giving over a prescription incidently even though this means often I will be paying more in the long run. Self diagnosis is fine to a point but bottom line they have their professional name to think of and I am no vet. A dose of Baytril may not be appropriate even though I think from my experiences it will be... I hear a lot of complaints from people who want POMs without paying a consultation fee at the vet surgery when I am in the waiting room.

[Emma]

Vets HAVE to see an animal before they can prescribe for it, that's the law. The animal has to be "under his care". Even for repeat prescriptions of long-term medication most vets require to see the animal at least every 4 months. If you want POM anti-flea medication for your cat or dog, the animal must be registered with the practice and have been seen in the previous 12 months. Noone can walk in and demand a POM!



So you'd probably be charged a consultation fee and a prescription fee (at present, if you wanted to go elsewhere to buy your medication). Sometimes consult fees may be waived at the vet's discretion (e.g. for repeat meds check-ups) depending on how the practice works and what their boss thinks! Writing the prescription takes extra time for the vet that he wouldn't have to spend if you were buying the medicine direct - it also has his signature on it which is a valuable thing (just think, you pay for doctor's signatures on health checks etc).



The DTI (I think it is) responded to the veterinary organisation's concerns saying that vets should raise their consultation fees to take account of the loss of prescription fee......meaning EVERYBODY would pay increased consult fees whether they want to take a prescription or not. And for those who did want the prescription fee, they'd be paying the same at the end of the day, although it would be labelled "consultation" rather than "consultation + prescription".

[babyboos]

So overall vet fees are likely to increase as everyone will have to pay the new consultation fee even if they end up not needing a prescription... I am not sure what percentage of pets don't get some form of medication when they visit the vet? I know I usually do :cry: If it were low it would actually be beneficial to vets? Interesting once you really get down to the basics - ultimately maybe better just leaving things the way they are? I don't like these cheap, online companies but if the vet has to charge an increased consultation fee and drugs at a markup to maintain his current level of profit then I fear many people will turn to these places. And visiting the vet for routine tasks such as teeth grinding and nail clipping will become less popular due to the increased consultation fee cost.

[MBll]

While prescriptions will be free the vets will put up their other chargers....so what you will get free in one hand you will pay out in other ways.

[babyboos]

Absolutely :roll: :twisted: