Who owns online pet pharmacies? The UK list, checked

Pet Drugs Online is owned by IVC Evidensia, the largest vet group in our directory. Two other big names also belong to vet groups: Animed Direct to CVS and VetUK to VetPartners. VioVet and The PharmPet Co have owners outside vet care, and smaller sites such as UK Pet Drugs are owned by the people who run them. Whoever owns it, check the site is on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) register before you buy. Ownership below was checked on Companies House on 19 October 2026.

Who owns each online pet pharmacy

Owned by a vet group

• Pet Drugs Online is owned by IVC Evidensia. The site says it is part of IVC Evidensia. Its VMD accreditation also covers petprescription.co.uk, and Petprescription Ltd is controlled by Inspiring Vet Care Ltd, IVC’s UK company (it was called Independent Vetcare Ltd).
• Animed Direct is owned by CVS Group. Animed Direct Ltd is controlled by CVS (UK) Ltd, which is controlled by CVS Group plc.
• VetUK is owned by VetPartners. VetUK Ltd has been controlled by VetPartners Ltd since 31 March 2021.

As of 19 October 2026, our directory lists 1,305 practices owned by IVC Evidensia, 911 by CVS and 794 by VetPartners.

Owned by a company outside vet care

• VioVet is owned by Pinnacle Pet Group. VioVet Ltd has been controlled by Pinnacle Pet Group Ltd since 31 October 2022. Further up, JAB Pet Holdings Ltd owns more than half of Pinnacle’s parent and Cardif Insurance Holdings plc owns between a quarter and a half.
• The PharmPet Co is owned by Pharmacy2U. It became part of Pharmacy2U Ltd, an online pharmacy for people, on 26 April 2024. Pharmacy2U’s holding company is controlled by G Square Capital (GP) II LLP.

Independent

• UK Pet Drugs and Pet Counter have no vet group or retailer above them. Companies House lists only individuals as the people in control of each.

Does it matter who owns the pharmacy?

For the medicine itself, not much. A registered online pharmacy must follow the same rules whoever owns it, and the medicine is the same product.

Ownership matters when you compare prices. If your vet is a CVS practice and points you to Animed Direct, you’re still buying from CVS. That can be a fine deal, but it isn’t a second opinion on price. Check two or three registered sites, including at least one with a different owner from your vet.

Not sure who owns your vet? Search for your practice and the page shows its owner and how we know. If you’d rather keep your money away from the big groups altogether, you can also find independent vets near you.

How to check an online pet pharmacy is legal

1. Look the site up on the VMD register. The VMD publishes a Register of Online Retailers. A site has to be on it to sell prescription medicines or medicines that need a qualified adviser.
2. Check the wording on the site. A registered site must say it is a “registered internet retailer of veterinary medicines” and link to the register.
3. Check what kind of retailer it is. The register marks each site as a vet practice (VPP), a pharmacy (Ph) or an SQP retailer. Only the first two can sell vet-only (POM-V) medicines. An SQP retailer can sell treatments such as many flea and worm products, but not those. Pets at Home, for example, is registered as an SQP retailer.
4. Walk away from any site that skips the prescription. If it will sell a prescription-only medicine without asking for your vet’s prescription, it’s breaking the rules.

You may also see the older VMD Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme (AIRS) logo. That scheme still runs, but it has closed to new applicants, so a newer pharmacy won’t carry the logo. Use the register instead.

How the £21 prescription cap changes the sums

To buy prescription medicine online you need a written prescription from your vet, and practices can charge for writing it. Under the CMA’s Order, that fee is capped at £21 for the first medicine and £12.50 for each extra one on the same prescription. The cap starts on 22 March 2027 at the large groups and on 22 September 2027 at every other practice.

A written prescription lasts up to six months, unless your vet sets a shorter time (controlled drugs have tighter rules), so one fee can cover several deliveries:

• Monthly medicine, six-month prescription: a £21 fee works out at £3.50 a month. Buying online saves money if the online price is more than £3.50 a month cheaper than your vet’s.
• One-off short course: you pay the whole fee on a single purchase, and wait for delivery. Buying at the practice is usually simpler.

Ask your vet what they charge for a prescription today: until the cap starts, each practice sets its own fee. Our guide to vet prescriptions covers how to ask for one.