Kevin Heath, CEO, Pharmacy2U, the nation’s largest online pharmacy and provider of pet prescriptions said: “There’s no question that vets deliver an invaluable service to the nation, but the CMA’s review suggests that the sector should be doing more to give consumers better transparency and value for money. For example, vets must use signs in reception or treatment rooms to tell customers that they can get a prescription for medicine and buy it elsewhere, but with a quarter of owners unaware online pharmacies could save them money, the CMA thinks more could be done.

“Our research supports the CMA findings with four in five (77%) continuing to buy prescription medication directly from their vet, and just one in five (18%) are exploring the value and convenience offered by online pet pharmacies.

“We launched our Pet Health service through Pharmacy2U.co.uk in November last year to provide pet owners with transparency on medication costs and delivery directly to their door. We are encouraged by the number of pet owners now turning to us to benefit from the convenience of ordering pet prescriptions online.”