FOI release

FOI - UK veterinary pharmaceuticals market

Published 13 January 2026

ATI1126 Request

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, COCOO requests the following recorded information related to the UK veterinary pharmaceuticals market, including authorization and enforcement under Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013. Please provide:

1. Copies of all complaints or enquiries received since January 1, 2020, regarding excessive pricing, exclusionary distribution, or barriers to generics in veterinary medicines.

2. Internal documents, emails, or reports on VMD’s actions (or reasons for inaction) in addressing such issues, including enforcement of VMR.

3. Correspondence with pharmaceutical companies (e.g., Pfizer, Bayer) on product authorizations, pricing, or market access since 2020.

4. Any internal reports or data on price disparities between veterinary and human medicines, or economic harms to stakeholders.

5. Details of any reviews or audits of VMR for competition barriers, including collaboration with CMA or Defra.

Our reply

1.) All records, reports, or studies on the pricing of veterinary medicines in the UK, including comparisons between veterinary and human equivalents, from 2018 to 2025.

2.) Documents related to complaints or investigations into anti-competitive practices in the veterinary pharmaceutical sector, including excessive pricing, exclusionary distribution agreements, or delays in generic authorisation.

5.) Reports on the impact of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 on market competition, including any reviews or proposed amendments.

We do not hold this information. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) does not control the market price of veterinary medicines. Our role is to ensure the safety, quality, and efficacy of these products, not to regulate what private companies or veterinary practices charge.

The pricing of veterinary medicines is determined by market factors, similar to how other consumer goods are priced, rather than being subject to the oversight of a national health service.

3.) Correspondence between the VMD and stakeholders (e.g., pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer or Bayer, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, or the CMA) regarding veterinary medicine dispensing restrictions or package sizes.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) regulates the dispensing of veterinary medicines in the UK based on their classification, with restrictions on who can supply them and in what quantity. There are no fixed, universal package sizes, but controls on dispensing, particularly for controlled drugs and prescriptions, affect the quantities supplied. Communications on these requirements to Stakeholders are through our published guidance.

Retail of veterinary medicines - GOV.UK

Marketing authorisations for veterinary medicines - GOV.UK

If this information is not what you are looking for, please submit another request being as specific as you can to help us locate it for you.

4.) Data on generic veterinary medicine approvals, including timelines, barriers (e.g., environmental risk assessments), and any instances of pay-for-delay agreements.

The marketing authorisation process for veterinary medicines is described on our website Marketing authorisations for veterinary medicines - GOV.UK and barriers, such as environmental risk assessments, are addressed in regulatory guidance.

All national applications will be processed on one of six timetables that vary in length depending on the complexity and nature of the application under assessment. Timetables for national applications for MAs, ATCs and VHRs - GOV.UK