英国兽医可能会面临他们提供的药物的临时价格上限

竞争和市场管理局（CMA）还可以使兽医显示出处方和分配费用的价格

British vets could face a temporary price cap on the medicines they offer as the regulator investigates concerns that pet owners are being ripped off.

当监管机构调查宠物主人被剥夺的担忧时，英国兽医可能会在他们提供的药物上面临临时价格上限。

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) could also make vets display their prices for prescription and dispensing fees, medicines, surgeries, treatments and out-of-hours help clearly online and in practices, according to a working paper released on Thursday.

根据周四发布的一份工作文件，竞争和市场管理局（CMA）还可以使兽医以处方和分配费用，药物，手术，治疗和时间外的方式显示其价格清楚地在线和实践中。

The competition watchdog is looking into the veterinary industry after 56,000 people raised concerns about the sector, including that they are overpaying for medicines and prescriptions and are not being given basic information such as price lists and prescription costs.

在56,000人对该行业提出关注之后，竞争对手正在研究兽医行业，包括他们对药品和处方的款项过多，并且没有获得基本信息，例如价格清单和处方费用。

In its working paper, the CMA said it was considering a cap on the mark-ups that vet practices can make when selling cremations, which were sold to pet owners “at a vulnerable moment”.

CMA在其工作论文中说，它正在考虑兽医实践在出售火葬时可以制作的标记上的上限，这些小火葬是在“脆弱的时刻”出售给宠物主人的。

It said it was considering the possible benefits and risks of implementing a short-term, temporary ‘stabilising’ freeze or cap on medicine prices.

它说，它正在考虑实施短期，临时“稳定”冻结或限制药品价格的可能收益和风险。

The paper reads: “While our strong preference is to support consumers to get the best prices and drive competition within the existing market structure, we are considering the possible benefits and risks of implementing a short-term, temporary ‘stabilising’ freeze or cap on medicine prices while the competition benefits of the broader package of measures come into effect.”

该论文写道：“虽然我们的强烈偏爱是支持消费者获得最优惠的价格并推动现有市场结构内的竞争，但我们正在考虑实施短期，临时的“稳定”冻结或限制药品价格的可能的收益和风险，而更广泛的措施的竞争益处也呈现出较广泛的措施。”

The regulator has previously said it was concerned over the impact of recent consolidation in the sector as large groups have bought out swathes of independent practices, and has raised the prospect of vets having to provide information as to whether they are part of a larger corporate or business entity.

监管机构此前曾表示，由于大型团体已经买断了许多独立实践，因此对最近合并的影响很担心，并且提高了兽医必须提供有关它们是较大公司还是企业实体的一部分的信息。

It said it was also looking at the link between treatments offered by vets and bonuses, including the use of “targets or financial incentives, which limit vets’ clinical freedom to provide a choice of treatments suited to the pet owner and animal’s requirements”.

它说，它还正在研究兽医提供的治疗方法和奖金之间的联系，包括使用“目标或经济激励措施，这限制了兽医的临床自由，以提供适合宠物主和动物要求的治疗方法的选择”。

The paper said: “If a package containing some or all of these remedies were put into place, we expect that it would empower consumers with greater understanding of the treatment and other options open to them and the different vet practices that could provide these services.

该论文说：“如果采用包含某些或全部这些补救措施的包裹，我们希望它将使消费者能够对治疗和其他选择的其他选择以及可以提供这些服务的不同兽医实践的其他选择。

“This would allow pet owners more easily to choose the right option for their preferences, budget and pet’s circumstances.”

“这将使宠物主人更容易为其偏好，预算和宠物的情况选择正确的选择。”

Which? director of policy and advocacy Rocio Concha said: “Millions of households across the UK consider their pet an important part of the family, however Which? research has shown that pet owners feel exposed to bad practices like unclear pricing and unnecessary treatment if their pet falls ill.

哪个？政策与倡导总监罗西奥·康查（Rocio Concha）说：“英国各地的数百万家庭认为他们的宠物是家庭的重要组成部分，但是，哪些研究表明，如果宠物的宠物生病了，宠物主人会感到宠物的宠物觉得自己受到了不明确的定价和不必要的待遇。

“Shopping around and getting reliable information about paying for vet services is much more difficult than it should be, so it’s right that the CMA is proposing changes that would introduce much greater transparency and make it easier for pet owners to find affordable treatment and medication.

“四处逛逛并获得有关支付兽医服务的可靠信息，比应该更加困难，因此，CMA提出的更改是正确的，这些更改将引入更大的透明度，并使宠物主人更容易找到负担得起的治疗和药物。

“It’s also clear that the regulation of this market is outdated, to the detriment of both pet owners and vet practices. The Government needs to act quickly to modernise this once the CMA confirms its recommendations.”

“同样很明显，该市场的监管已经过时，损害了宠物主和兽医实践。一旦CMA确认了其建议，政府就需要迅速采取行动以使其现代化。”