Prescriptions

Prescription Drugs (POM-V)

Unlike human GP surgeries (who can prescribe medicines but must then have them dispensed by a pharmacist), the veterinary profession has been granted the privilege of dispensing its own medicines. We are bound by some very strict rules and regulations about the storage and handling of these drugs, how and to whom we dispense them, accurate record keeping and the ability to trace exactly who has received any particular numbered batch of a prescribed drug. If we are found to be in breach of these regulations, we can have our dispensing privileges withdrawn at any time.

A Well-Stocked Dispensary

For the convenience of our clients, we keep a small quantity of all the medications that we commonly prescribe in stock. This means that, after having your pet examined and diagnosed, you can leave the surgery with the drugs he or she needs and don't have to make a further excursion to a pharmacy to buy them. If we prescribe a more unusual medication, and have to order it in specifically for your pet, we can usually obtain it within one working day and, for a small fee, we are happy to post it to you if returning to the surgery to collect it is inconvenient.

Repeat Prescriptions

Please allow us at least 48 hours notice if your pet requires repeat supplies of his or her medicines. All repeat prescriptions for POM-V category medicines must, by law, be authorised by a veterinary surgeon who has current knowledge of that animal's state of health. The vet will decide whether the animal needs to be re-examined before we issue more treatment. If he or she is due a check-up, we will make you an appointment and if not, we will go ahead and order the medication in, for you to collect.

Written Prescriptions

Some clients, with animals on expensive, long-term medication, prefer to shop around for their medicines while continuing to use our professional services in caring for their pet. For a small fee, we will provide a written prescription that allows them to purchase their POM-V drugs elsewhere. Once a client has paid for the written prescription, created an order with the pharmacy of their choice and provided us with the order number, we will email the written prescription to the pharmacy (with the exception of prescriptions for controlled drugs as the pharmacy requires a hard copy). Issue of a written prescription is subject to the same rules as issue of the drugs themselves.