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The CMA's 21 provisional remedies will fundamentally change how veterinary practices operate in the UK - from pricing and prescriptions to complaints handling and out-of-hours care.
To understand what's coming and how to prepare, I sat down with my colleague Pete Orpin, newly appointed SPVS President. Pete has spent the last several years working directly with the CMA alongside the BVA and FIVP, representing independent practices throughout the remedies process. Watch our full discussion here 🎥
What's Actually Changing?
The CMA has set out 21 provisional remedies, which broadly fall into six areas: price transparency, treatment information and estimates, medicines and prescriptions, complaints handling, out-of-hours care, and long-term regulatory reform. For UK veterinary practices, the combined effect of these changes will be substantial.
When Do Veterinary Practices Need to Comply with CMA Remedies in the UK?
The CMA's final decision is expected in February–March 2026. From there, large veterinary groups will have 3 months to comply, while independent practices will have 6 or more months.
The difference reflects a practical reality. Independent practices have fewer centralised resources, more operational complexity, and will need to evaluate and implement new technology solutions to meet the requirements. Pete and the SPVS team pushed hard for the extended window precisely because of this.
The CMA Remedies: Three Pressures Practices Need to Plan For
Based on my conversation with Pete, these are the three most significant operational and financial pressures practices are likely to face as the remedies come into force.
Medicine revenue under pressure
As prescription transparency increases and clients are actively directed towards online pharmacies, the volume of medicines dispensed in-practice is likely to decline. For practices where medicine sales represent a meaningful share of revenue, the financial impact could be substantial and warrants serious strategic planning now.
Consultation capacity
SPVS data shows average consultation length has grown from 10 minutes in 2012 to 15–20 minutes today. If CMA compliance adds further time pressure within the consult, even losing one appointment per vet per day has a compounding effect - it is not just the consultation fee, but the diagnostics, treatment, and follow-up work that goes with it.
Technology requirements
Publishing standardised price lists, generating tiered estimates, and managing prescription workflows will require practice management systems to support new processes. Many current systems are not yet equipped to do this efficiently.
How to Prepare Your Veterinary Practice for CMA Compliance
1. Model your medicine revenue exposure
Calculate what a 30–50% shift of long-term prescriptions to online pharmacies means for your turnover. Then make a deliberate choice: reduce margins on high-volume medications to retain sales and reprice services to compensate. Do this now, not when the regulations are in place.
2. Simplify your pricing structure
Standardised price lists are coming. Audit your fees now and move towards tiered packages and clear per-service pricing. It is easier to comply - and easier for clients to understand.
3. Play to your strengths online
Price comparison is coming. Make sure your website and reviews reflect why your clinic stands out - your team, your care standards, and your services.
4. Prepare your team for client conversations
Staff need to understand the changes, know your pricing rationale, and be confident discussing prescription rights and treatment options with clients. Brief everyone - clinical and non-clinical.
5. Rebuild health plans around services, not medicines
Service-led health plans are best placed to absorb medicine revenue losses. Shift the focus to preventative care - it delivers value that online pharmacies cannot compete with.
How Lupa Helps Veterinary Practices Meet CMA Requirements
CMA compliance will require technology to do more: standardised price lists, tiered estimates, prescription workflows, and complaints handling all need system-level support. Most current practice management systems are not built for this.
At Lupa, we are already building solutions to meet these requirements - designed around real practice needs. We are watching the CMA's regulations closely to ensure that we can help create software to support team and be compliant.
Reach out to our team to find out how Lupa can help prepare you and your practice for the regulation changes.
🗓️ Speak to us to find out more about how Lupa helps you stay compliant
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