Equine Reproductive Services (UK)
Tel: +44 (0)1653 668190
A general equine first opinion and referral veterinary practice specialising in equine reproductive and stud medicine
VETERINARY PRESCRIPTIONS
Written Prescriptions
Assuming Your horse is registered with Us, you may obtain Veterinary Prescription only medicines (POM-Vs) from Us, or a written prescription may be obtained so that you are able to purchase medications from an alternative source (veterinary surgery or pharmacy). Often the decision to ask for a prescription is based on costs, which is understandable. If this is the case then the best starting point is to speak to Us as we are sometimes, but not always, able to look at costs on a one-off basis. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be dispensed for your animal. A prescription may not be appropriate if your animal is an in-patient or immediate treatment is necessary.
It is a legal requirement that your horse is examined by Us prior to writing the prescription, as Your horse must be ‘under Our care’ at the time of prescribing. There will be a charge for the examination and for the prescription. Repeat prescriptions may be written, but Your horse must still be examined on a regular basis by the prescribing vet. The frequency of these examinations will depend on the medicine being prescribed and the condition being treated, but the general policy is that the animal must be re-assessed every 3 months. The standard charge for a re-examination is £37.20 (excluding the visit fee).
There will be some occasions where a prescription may not be appropriate, for example when a medication must be injected intravenously or when a special import certificate is required for a particular medicine. Some insurance companies will not pay for medicines obtained from alternative sources, so this is something that you should check before the medicines are obtained. Further information on the prices of medicines is available on request.
Obtaining Prescription Medicines
It is important that you source medicines from a reputable source to ensure they are genuine, effective and not contaminated. Some prices may seem exceptionally cheap, but if this is the case advice should be sought regarding the validity of the offer. Regulated suppliers include: a high street pharmacy, another veterinary practice or an online pharmacy. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) have established an Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme, and accredited retailers will display the VMD logo on their website, which should provide a link to the VMD approved retailers list. If this logo is not present it is not recommended to purchase medicines from this site. It is also not recommended to purchase medicines from social media sites or overseas sites.
Internet Medicines
Occasionally some sites offer certain medications at prices lower than we can purchase the same products for, and they appear to be from reputable websites. They are assumed to be loss leaders, and do not remain at those prices for long, yet they sometimes undermine the relationship between vet and client. We cannot monitor and compare our prices with the internet constantly but when it is brought to our attention we do look into it and always try and do our best to look after You our client.
Prescription fraud
Prescription fraud is illegal and becoming increasingly identified and prosecuted, therefore equine vets that are members of the British Equine Veterinary Association now have tamper proof prescriptions to prevent such fraud.