Online animal/Pet Prescriptions in UK
Vets4u Veterinary Prescriptions
Veterinary Prescriptions and Regulation
If you see the text "THIS MEDICINE REQUIRES A PRESCRIPTION" next to an item you’d like to order, it means the item can only be sold with a prescription. While you can add these items to your shopping cart and pay for them along with other non-prescription products, we cannot dispatch them until we’ve received a prescription.
Some Items may also state THIS MEDICINE REQUIRES A COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE. This will be for NFA-VPS and POM-VPS products and these require a completed questionnaire online before the items can be authorised for dispatch.
Veterinary prescriptions must be written in accordance with UK regulations and signed and dated by a veterinary surgeon who is registered in the UK.
Each prescription is a legal document containing the written instructions from your vet that outlines which medication is needed, the amount to be supplied, the dosage, whether it is eligible for repeats or not, details about the animal, the veterinary surgeon who has prescribed it and confirmation that the animal is under their care.
When purchasing veterinary medicines you will be asked to either register with us or complete a short questionnaire.
Under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations the medicinal products available on this website fall under the follow legal categories:
POM-V (Prescription Only Medicine-Veterinarian)
POM-VPS (Prescription Only Medicine-Veterinarian, Pharmacist, SQP)
NFA-VPS (Non-food animal- Veterinarian, Pharmacist, SQP)
AVM-GSL (Authorised Veterinary Medicine – General Sales List)
Controlled Drugs
For Controlled Drugs (CDs) we require the original paper prescription, which means we can only accept posted prescriptions. For these drugs we cannot accept emailed or uploaded copies. Such prescriptions can only be used once, and we cannot authorise repeat prescriptions. These are only valid for 28 days.
What happens If my Pet requires a medicine long term?
Some pets are on lifetime medication, so vets can write on-going or 'repeat prescriptions and this means they can be used a number of times. This repeat number is written on the prescription, so you do not need to keep going back to the surgery to get and pay for additional prescriptions – saving you time and money. There are two limits on repeat prescriptions, the total amount of medicine prescribed and time. You can only buy the maximum amount of medicine shown on the prescription and it is valid for six 6 months from the day it was written. When either of these limits is reached the prescription is deemed to be exhausted.
The way in which repeat prescriptions are written can be a little confusing, as it is the original prescription PLUS the stated number of repeats. So for example if your dog requires 1 tube of cream per month, a repeat prescription for six month’s treatment would state 5 repeats. This is the tube stated on the original prescription PLUS the five times it can be repeated, giving a total of six tubes.
If your pet is on long term or lifetime medication be sure to ask for a repeat prescription.
Altered Prescriptions
You are advised that the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (“VMR”) were amended in 2009 to make it a criminal offence to tamper with a written prescription. Schedule 3 Part 5(3) of the VMR states that ‘no person may alter a written prescription unless authorised to do so by the person who signed it’. Vets4u has a zero-tolerance policy for altered or forged prescription. We check all prescriptions received to verify their legal and valid status. If we suspect the prescription has been illegally amended, altered or tampered with we will immediately notify you and contact the relevant veterinary practice. If our suspicions are confirmed by the relevant practice, we shall immediately cancel the whole of the order in which the altered prescription is included, de-activate the relevant user account and report the misuse to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).
If we suspect the authenticity of a prescription and that it has been created fraudulently using a veterinary surgeon’s identity, in addition to the above measures, we shall report the matter to the police who will deal with it as a matter of fraud.
You are advised that Prescriptions are only valid for 6 months from date of issue. Prescriptions for Scheduled Drugs are also for single use only and cannot be written as repeat prescriptions.
Whilst we endeavour to ensure all Prescription Only item prices displayed on our website are accurate, occasionally there may be some fluctuation due to manufacturer’s price increase or specific order requirement. In such cases we will contact you to advise you of the revised price once we have your prescription.
Regulation
We are registered as a Veterinary Practice Premises with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Our premises reference number is: 7434473.
You can verify our status by contacting the RCVS directly, their contact details are available on the RCVS website.
Our Principle RQP (Responsible Qualified Person) is Susan Dorey BVSc MRCVS. Reference number: 0407263.
This can be verified by visiting the register list at RCVS Find a Vet.
Owner & Registered Business Address
The owner of the business is Vets4u Ltd:
Vets4u Ltd,
13 Pomeroy Drive, Oadby, Leicester, LE2 5NE
Company no: 13512818, registered in England and Wales.
VAT no. 387679225.
Veterinary Medicines Directorate
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is the government agency responsible for issues concerning the use and manufacture of veterinary medicines in the UK.
The Summary of Product Characteristics (SPCs) for all the medicinal products sold on this site are available from the Veterinary Medicine’s Directorate Product Information Database. Found Here.
Adverse Reactions
No effective medicine is risk free, and all medicines have the potential to cause adverse effects. Some of the adverse effects are known about when a veterinary medicine is first licensed, but those which occur rarely or are specific for certain breeds or groups of animals only come to light later when the products are used more widely.
In the event of an adverse reaction to any medicinal product, it should be reported to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate using this form, you should also report it to your vet.
Guidance For Animals Owners
For guidance and advice for animal owners please visit the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website.
Complaints About Veterinary Medicine
If you have a complaint about the quality of a veterinary medicine please contact us in the first instance. However, if you feel that we haven’t resolved your complaint satisfactorily, you can contact the VMD; postmaster@vmd.gov.uk
Please note that the VMD will only consider complaints about veterinary medicines, not about service, delivery or cost and not about non-medicinal products.
For Prescription medicines not listed on our website, simply fill out the short form HERE and we'll get back to you. You can also use this to send us a copy of your prescription if you've placed an order without uploading it already.