Prescription Medications

Supporting your cat’s long-term care

Medication and ongoing treatment

Some illnesses resolve with a short course of treatment. Others, such as long-term or chronic conditions, require ongoing medication to keep your cat comfortable and well.

Most of the medicines prescribed by our vets are classed as POM-V (Prescription Only Medicine – Veterinarian). This means they can only be prescribed by a vet to a patient who is considered ‘under their care’.

Under Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) guidelines, this requires your cat to have a health check at least every six months. In some cases, more frequent examinations may be needed to safely monitor your cat’s condition and ensure their medication remains appropriate.

Our vets will advise you on the recommended check-up schedule based on your cat’s individual health needs. These reviews are essential for patient safety and allow us to adjust treatment promptly if required. We can only prescribe medication for the period covered by the advised health check interval, which may sometimes be less than six months.

Repeat Prescriptions

Between health checks, you can request refills of ongoing medication, known as a repeat prescription by using our online booking service.

Each request is reviewed by one of our vets alongside your cat’s clinical notes before authorisation. In some cases, we may contact you for an update on your cat’s condition or recommend a health check before issuing further medication.

Please allow 48 hours for repeat prescriptions and written prescriptions to be processed. If your request is urgent, let our reception team know and we will do our best to help.

Please note:
Antibiotics cannot be issued as repeat prescriptions and require a full clinical examination.

Obtaining Medication from the Clinic

Repeat medications can be requested:

• By contacting our reception team by phone or email
• Via the repeat prescription request option on our website

There is no prescription fee when medication is dispensed directly by the clinic, you simply pay for the medication itself.

Written Prescriptions

You may request a written prescription to obtain medication elsewhere. As with all prescription medicines, this can only be provided for cats under our care.

Fees

• Each medication requires a separate written prescription
• Each prescription is chargeable
• Payment must be made before collection or email
• Refunds cannot be issued once a written prescription has been processed

Some written prescriptions can be issued for multiple repeats, depending on the medication and your cat’s review schedule.

Controlled Drugs

Controlled drugs are generally not available as written prescriptions. In exceptional cases where they are issued:

• They are valid for one use only
• The quantity is limited to a maximum of 28 days
• They are valid for 28 days from the date of issue

Validity Period

• POM-V written prescriptions are valid for up to 6 months (unless a shorter period is stated).
• Controlled drug prescriptions are valid for 28 days.
• Some parasite prevention medications may be prescribed for up to 12 months, depending on circumstances. Please ask when requesting.