A vet is legally required to undertake a PHYSICAL examination of your animal before prescribing medication of any type of controlled drug, antibiotic, antifungal, or antiviral, and applies to all types of medication, whether injectable, oral or topical, including creams and ointments.
Antibiotics cannot be given based on photographs; an in-person physical examination is legally required. We have a duty of care to safeguard both animal and human health against the risks posed by excessive antibiotic usage and the development of resistance.
Please respect our Team members when they explain the need for your animal to be seen. We are legally required to adhere to these guidelines, and we appreciate your patience and cooperation.
Further information can be found online.
Our normal policy of seeing your animal every 6/12 months (or sooner if the vet deems it appropriate) still applies for long-term prescription medications that are not antimicrobial.
Where an animal is under the care of multiple veterinary practices, those practices must keep each other informed of any information that may affect the animal’s treatment. Therefore, we ask that you inform us if your animal is under the care of another veterinary practice so that we can adhere to this policy.
Our structured and organised repeat prescription service ensures your pet receives prompt treatment when you need it. We are extremely diligent in ensuring your medication is correctly ordered, the dose checked and signed off by one of our vets, before being dispensed by one of our trained veterinary staff members prior to collection. For these reasons, we advise 48-hour notice when requesting a repeat prescription.
HNVG complies with RCVS guidelines regarding the dispensing of medicines. Therefore, prescribing medication via repeat prescriptions is only available to animals under our care.
For the majority of medications, a pet requiring a repeat prescription will need to be re-assessed every 3 months. However, this may vary in individual circumstances. Checks may be required more frequently for certain medications, e.g. diabetic. This is in the interest of your animal’s health and is a legal requirement.
Exceptions are made for wormer and flea treatment where the period since the last examination is extended to 12 months.
Please contact us to order your pet’s repeat prescription.
You can request a written prescription for your pet’s medication. We can only do this for animals under our care. Prescribing medication using a written prescription allows you to source your pet’s medication from another veterinary practice or online pharmacy. All medication requests and written prescriptions are processed in the same way and require a minimum of 2 working days to process. Our Vets review each request, carefully assess your pet’s clinical notes to ensure the medication is appropriate, and then authorise further medication use.
Written prescription fees can be found here.
When phoning us for your written prescription, our Reception team will need the following information:
Our team will then process your request and send your prescription directly to your pharmacy of choice, making the entire process as convenient as possible for you.
No, we send written prescriptions directly to your chosen pharmacy for the following reasons:
The inclusive 6-month health check can be used for prescription re-examination (if it falls at the same time), as well as your pet’s health check.
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If you’re worried about your pet and would like to speak to one of our vets then please call your nearest branch or send an email.
Hook Norton: 01608 730501
enquiries@hooknortonvets.co.uk
Charlbury: 01608 811250
charlbury@hooknortonvets.co.uk
Deddington: 01869 337732
deddington@hooknortonvets.co.uk
Moreton-in-Marsh: 01608 695305
moreton@hooknortonvets.co.uk
