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The following article was published in the March 2022 edition of Vetboard Victoria's newsletter. Content was current at the time of publication but there may have been changes since then, as rules, standards and professional and community expectations change over time. Readers are also referred to our Guidelines for appropriate standards of veterinary practice and veterinary facilities.

Fees for issuing scripts

The Board has also received questions from animal owners about whether they must bring their animal in for a consultation every time they need a script filled and whether a vet can charge a “script fee” to issue a prescription for a medicine which the owner intends to buy and have filled elsewhere, e.g., a pharmacy.

On whether a consultation is required, while there is no expectation that a veterinary practitioner must see an animal more than once a year to maintain a VOA relationship, a vet may decide they need to see an animal before they prescribe or supply repeat medicines. Examples would be if an animal is in the acute phase of an illness, if diagnostic testing is needed to check response to treatment, or if there has been some change since the animal was last seen, e.g., weight gain. Veterinary practitioners have the skills and knowledge to decide when it is appropriate to examine an animal before prescribing or supplying veterinary medicines, and they are expected to be able to justify their decision-making to the Board.

On service charges, veterinary practices, like other businesses, can set prices for the services they deliver as they see fit, with some rare exceptions (see Pricing – Consumer Affairs Victoria and Setting Prices – the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission).

While the Board does not investigate complaints about the level of fees and charges set by veterinary practitioners, it should be noted that services covered by script and additional consultation fees include:
  • reviewing an animal’s condition; the suitability of medication for the animal; possible alternative treatments that may now be an option and/or interactions between multiple medications
  • discussing: the issues associated with medication, disease, prognosis, options and possible side effects
  • writing a legal document and taking on liability for issuing prescription medicine.

Note that the Board can receive and investigate complaints about a veterinary practitioner not obtaining informed financial consent from an animal owner before delivering a service or about overservicing. See Board Guideline 4 – Communication between veterinary practitioner and owner or professional peers.

Relevant guidelines