The Pressures Are Rising in Veterinary Practice — But So Are the Opportunities

Step inside any veterinary practice today and you’ll sense it immediately: the pace is faster, the expectations are higher, and the landscape is shifting. Teams are stretched as the profession is navigating one of the most transformative periods in its history.

From regulatory change, employment legislation to evolving client behaviour, the challenges are real and right now, four major topics are shaping the future of veterinary care more than anything else.

1. The CMA Review: More Prescriptions, Fewer Medicine Sales

The CMA review has become one of the most talked‑about issues in the profession. Its focus on competition and transparency will influence client behaviour and a quick glance at the media shows more “vet bashing” as a consequence.

My visit to SPVS Congress this year was dominated by talk of what the CMA might do – the review of course is now published with fears being justified. At Congress I sat in on more than one presentation centred around the likelihood of more prescription requests leading to fewer in-practice medicine sales and the implications this might have for service fees….vets have to make profit somewhere to stay in business!

For long‑term medications and parasiticides, this shift is particularly painful. These products have traditionally supported practice income, helping offset rising costs and enabling investment in staff, equipment and CPD. Now, practices are facing:

• Increased administrative pressure issuing prescriptions
• Reduced revenue from repeat medicines
• Greater competition from online retailers
• More client questions about pricing and alternatives

The financial impact is significant — but the operational impact is just as challenging. Every prescription takes time, and time is the one resource practices are already short of.

2. The Push for Contextualised Care — Without the Time to Deliver It

Contextualised care is widely recognised as the gold standard. Understanding an animal’s lifestyle, environment, behaviour and long‑term needs leads to better outcomes and stronger client relationships and, frankly, it is the right thing to do.

However, you cannot deliver truly contextualised care in a pressured 15‑minute consult when you’re already running behind. And with vet fees all-too-often described as a “rip off”, increasing consult time and costs is unlikely to go down well with clients. Stuck between a rock and hard place? Or maybe not…..?

Vets want to offer richer conversations and more personalised guidance, but how can balance be found between this honourable intention and clients wanting lower vet bills? But there is a way to square these differing needs: The solution isn’t to stretch vets thinner — it’s to empower the wider team.

With the right training, team members such a RVNs and receptionists can:

• Support parasite control discussions
• Handle routine medication reviews
• Provide lifestyle‑based advice
• Manage follow‑up conversations
• Free vets to focus on complex cases

This isn’t just better for workflow — it’s better for clients and better for animals too.

3. RVNs Want to Be Empowered — And the Profession Should Listen

Registered Veterinary Nurses are one of the profession’s greatest untapped assets and always have been. They are skilled, trusted, and deeply committed to patient care. Many have great communication skills and the majority want greater responsibility and clearer career progression. 

That’s why the conversation around the Nurse Prescriber role has generated so much enthusiasm.  RVNs are poised and ready to use their clinical knowledge more fully, run more clinics, strengthen continuity of care and play a bigger role in client education.

While future regulatory change is welcome, the profession doesn’t need to wait to empower RVNs. There are already safe, legal pathways that expand their scope and strengthen practice teams.

4. Equine & Farm Practice: The Call for Better Parasiticide Stewardship

In equine and farm practice, the pressures are different and “best practice” advice is rapidly evolving, with groups such as CANTER and SCOPS driving the agenda for responsible prescribing.

Resistance to parasiticides is rising, and vets are increasingly concerned that without better education and more structured conversations, the industry risks losing vital tools for parasite control with devastating consequences for farmers and horse owners.

Clients too often rely on habitual treatments rather than evidence‑based plans; they continue to do what they have always done. What’s needed is better client education around the importance of testing, more consistent messaging, time for routine discussions about responsible use of anthelmintics and why it matters, and staff who feel confident delivering that advice.

Again, this doesn’t have to fall solely on vets. With the right training, other team members can lead these conversations and support clients year‑round, including prescribing the right products to the right animals at the right time.

The Common Thread Across All These Challenges

Practices need more empowered, knowledgeable staff and that means more training and delegation.

Whether it’s supporting contextualised care, empowering RVNs and others in the team, making up for the financial shortfall of increased prescription demand or improving parasiticide stewardship, one solution keeps appearing:

Train more of your team as SQPs.

SQPs already play a crucial role in advising on parasiticides and animal welfare generally, supporting responsible medicine use, supply and prescription of NFA-VPS and POM-VPS medicines, educating clients, reducing pressure on vets, improving workflow and client satisfaction.

In a changing landscape, SQPs give practices the flexibility, resilience and capability they urgently need, today. Time is of the essence which is why Vetpol has focussed on efficient, streamlined, affordable routes to qualification.

Vetpol: The Fastest, Most Flexible Path to SQP Qualification

Vet practices don’t need more pressure — they need more capacity. And Vetpol offers one of the most accessible, practical ways to upskill and empower your team with fast-track courses and online exams.

Vetpol’s accredited SQP qualification for Companion Animal, Equine, Farm &/or Avian can be completed in as little as 3 months, giving practices a fast, effective way to strengthen and empower their teams.

And for RVNs, the opportunity is even more exciting:

RVNs can now complete the SQP Integration for RVNs course (Companion Animal) and join the Vetpol Register in just ONE month. And they can do so within the constraints of an annual CPD budget of £500!

The challenges facing veterinary practice today are considerable and this is a period of shifting sands — but there are also opportunities:

Empower your team. Invest in their future. And in doing so, build a practice that’s ready for whatever comes next.