‌

Register

Login

Vet Times logo
+
  • View all news
  • Vets news
  • Vet Nursing news
  • Business news
  • + More
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
  • View all clinical
  • Small animal
  • Livestock
  • Equine
  • Exotics
  • Vet Times jobs home
  • All Jobs
  • Your ideal job
  • Post a job
  • Career Advice
  • Students
About
Contact Us
For Advertisers
NewsClinicalJobs
Vet Times logo

Vets

All Vets newsSmall animalLivestockEquineExoticWork and well-beingOpinion

Vet Nursing

All Vet Nursing newsSmall animalLivestockEquineExoticWork and well-beingOpinion

Business

All Business newsHuman resourcesBig 6SustainabilityFinanceDigitalPractice profilesPractice developments

+ More

VideosPodcastsDigital Edition

The latest veterinary news, delivered straight to your inbox.

Choose which topics you want to hear about and how often.

Vet Times logo 2

About

The team

Advertise with us

Recruitment

Contact us

Vet Times logo 2

Vets

All Vets news

Small animal

Livestock

Equine

Exotic

Work and well-being

Opinion

Vet Nursing

All Vet Nursing news

Small animal

Livestock

Equine

Exotic

Work and well-being

Opinion

Business

All Business news

Human resources

Big 6

Sustainability

Finance

Digital

Practice profiles

Practice developments

Clinical

All Clinical content

Small animal

Livestock

Equine

Exotics

Jobs

All Jobs content

All Jobs

Your ideal job

Post a job

Career Advice

Students

More

All More content

Videos

Podcasts

Digital Edition


Terms and conditions

Complaints policy

Cookie policy

Privacy policy

fb-iconinsta-iconlinkedin-icontwitter-iconyoutube-icon

© Veterinary Business Development Ltd 2025

IPSO_regulated

25 Nov 2024

CMA inquiry chair hints at veterinary cascade rules review

The head of inquiry into companion animal services, Martin Coleman, warns some vets are frustrated by “lack of flexibility” within the current prescribing system.

author_img

Allister Webb

Job Title



CMA inquiry chair hints at veterinary cascade rules review

Image: andreysp03 / Adobe Stock

Veterinary regulators have been encouraged to reconsider the protocol governing how clinicians decide which drugs should be prescribed to their patients.

The head of the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) inquiry into companion animal services has warned some vets were frustrated by a “lack of flexibility” within the veterinary cascade. But the RCVS said any changes to the rules were a matter for the VMD, which claimed it could not comment while the investigation was ongoing.

The issue was highlighted when CMA inquiry board chairperson Martin Coleman addressed the London Vet Show’s BVA Congress stream on 15 November.

Drug costs

He said the group had been told that “in some cases”, pets were going untreated or even being euthanised because owners could not afford the cost of drugs with an animal licence and vets believed they could not prescribe cheaper human medicines that would provide an alternative treatment.

BEVA also called for restrictions on the consideration of clients’ financial circumstances to be scrapped in its own inquiry submission, published earlier this year, though officials have insisted the rules do not prevent professionals from discussing all treatment options.

Although he acknowledged it was not the group’s role to “second guess” regulatory decisions, Mr Coleman suggested the issue could be reviewed before his group delivers its final report, which is due by November next year.

‘Work together?’

He said: “Government policy has been that cost alone is not a sufficient reason to move straight to prescribing a human medicine under the cascade and we respect that.

“However, might it, for example, be possible for the VMD and the RCVS (who effectively police cascade use) to work together to give guidance to vets on circumstances where, if a pet owner clearly cannot afford an animal medicine with the consequence that an animal would go untreated, a vet would be safe to prescribe or recommend a cheaper human equivalent in order to protect the health and welfare of the animal?”

In response to the comments, the VMD said it was “unable to comment” until the inquiry group’s final report and recommendations are made available.

Advice

However, the body has indicated that it gave advice in line with its guidance to vets who had asked whether human medicines could be used, though there is no collated data for the number of incidents or the period over which the enquiries were lodged.

Meanwhile, a college spokesperson said the VMD alone was responsible for making any changes to the cascade as the body responsible for enforcing the Veterinary Medicines Regulations.

He added: “Of course, if the VMD did decide to make any such changes to the cascade, or the guidance on its application, we would work with it to ensure that the professions were fully aware of the impact and implications.”

‘Clear connection’

Mr Coleman also sought to reassure delegates about the inquiry’s concern for animal welfare, following criticism of its approach from within the sector in recent months.

While he stressed that nothing the inquiry group had heard so far had caused it to question the care provided by the “vast majority” of veterinary professionals, he argued welfare could not be properly protected if owners couldn’t afford to do so.

He added: “There is a clear connection between protecting the health and welfare of animals and seeking to ensure that markets for veterinary services are working well.”

Martin Coleman, inquiry chair for the CMA’s market investigation into veterinary services, spoke at London Vet Show today (15 November). Image: CMA / GOV.UK
Martin Coleman, inquiry chair for the CMA’s market investigation into veterinary services, spoke at London Vet Show today (15 November). Image: CMA / GOV.UK

‌
‌
‌