The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published the final legal Order setting out the changes veterinary businesses will need to make following its investigation into the UK veterinary sector.
Published on 22 September 2026, the Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order brings the CMA’s long-running investigation to a close and turns its proposed remedies into legally binding requirements for veterinary businesses.
For practices, the good news is that most of the changes do not happen immediately. The requirements will be phased in over the coming year, with larger veterinary businesses generally expected to comply before smaller ones.
Price and service information comes first
Among the earliest changes will be new requirements around the information practices provide to pet owners.
Larger veterinary businesses will generally have three months to publish standardised information on services and prices, with smaller businesses given six months. This includes clear price lists for a defined range of treatments and services, information about out-of-hours care, prices for commonly sold flea, tick, and worm products, and details of what is included in pet care plans.
Groups operating veterinary businesses will also need to make their ownership clearer across websites, premises, signage, and communications. They have six months to comply with the ownership-transparency requirements.
This means many of the first visible changes for pet owners should begin appearing from December 2026 for larger businesses and March 2027 for smaller practices.
Written estimates and prescription fees follow
Further requirements will come into force during 2027.
Practices will need to provide a written estimate where the recommended treatment pathway is reasonably likely to cost £500 or more including VAT. That estimate will need to be updated if the expected total rises by either 20% or £500, whichever is lower. Larger businesses have nine months to introduce this, while smaller businesses have 12 months.
Itemised bills will also become mandatory.
Fees for written prescriptions will be capped at £21 for the first medicine prescribed during a consultation and £12.50 for each additional medicine. Larger businesses have six months to comply with the prescription fee cap, while smaller businesses have 12 months. The figures will be adjusted annually for inflation.
Charitable organisations providing small-animal veterinary services are exempt from the CMA requirements because they do not generally compete for customers in the same way as commercial veterinary businesses.
RCVS will help monitor compliance
Alongside the Order, the CMA has accepted formal undertakings from the RCVS, which will have responsibility for supporting the reforms and monitoring compliance by veterinary businesses.
The RCVS will also make changes to Find a Vet so that owners can access more information when comparing practices. Businesses are expected to begin supplying the required data to the RCVS by September 2027.
RCVS President Tim Hutchinson said the College would now examine the final Order in detail and work with practices and the CMA to make the requirements as clear and practical to implement as possible.
For veterinary practices, the publication marks an important change of stage. After several years of investigation, consultation, and proposed remedies, the question is no longer what the CMA might require, but how and when practices need to put the final rules into place.
Author
After graduating from the University of Nottingham in 2016, Jo moved into small animal practice in the midlands, where she grew a passion for client communication and the subjects that most need it - like geriatrics and dermatology. Since 2020 she has worked as a locum vet in the Channel Islands as well as as a content writer in pet health topics.
