Payment

We accept payments by cash, cheque and most credit cards.

We require clients bringing small animals to the surgery to pay after each consultation or procedure.

When we visit your animal on the farm, stable or at home we will normally invoice you for the work done either when we return to the surgery or at the end of the month. If you are a new client to us, particularly in the case of horse examinations for purchase, we may ask you to pay in advance based on an estimate of the expected cost. If the actual cost varies from the estimate then we will either refund or invoice you for the difference.

Prescribing & Dispensing of Medicines

Veterinary medicines are divided into four legal categories:

•AVM-GSL Authorised Veterinary Medicine – General Sales List. This may be sold by anyone.

•NFA-VPS Non-Food Animal medicine – Veterinarian, Pharmacist, Suitably Qualified Person (SQP). A medicine for companion animals which must be supplied by a veterinarian, pharmacist or Suitably Qualified Person.

•POM-VPS Prescription-Only Medicine – Veterinarian, Pharmacist, Suitably Qualified Person (SQP). A medicine for food-producing animals (including horses), to be supplied only on veterinary prescription, which must be prescribed by a veterinarian, pharmacist or SQP (either orally or in writing) and which must be supplied by one of those groups of people in accordance with the prescription.

•POM-V Prescription Only Medicine – Veterinarian. A medicine, to be supplied only on veterinary prescription, which must be prescribed (either orally or in writing) by a veterinarian to animals under his care following a clinical assessment, and which may be supplied by a veterinarian or pharmacist in accordance with the prescription. (At Archenfield Veterinary Surgery, the supply of all medicines (except AVM-GSL) must be authorised by a veterinary surgeon.

In the case of POM-V medicines a clinical assessment of the animal will be required before the medicine can be prescribed.

Typically, for POM-V medicines, the clinical assessment must take place immediately before the prescribing of the medicine. In the case of patients taking a POM-V medicine on a long term basis and requiring a repeat prescription, the assessment must have taken place within the preceding 3 months. In the case of a healthy animal requiring a POM-V medicine as a routine preventative treatment (e.g. parasite control), the assessment must have taken place within the preceding 12 months.

Written prescriptions are available on request for animals under our care. A requirement of this is that we examine the animal every 3 months for which there will be a charge.

Please allow at least 24 hours between requesting a prescription or repeat supply of medication to allow time for a veterinary surgeon to review and authorise your request.

In-Patient Care

We try to send patients home whenever possible. We believe that most animals are happier in their familiar surroundings and most owners prefer to care for their animals at home whenever possible. We will only keep a patient at the surgery if treatment is required that cannot be given at home (e.g. on a drip or frequent injections of medication) or if moving the patient would cause a problem.

After our surgery closes, a Vet, Veterinary Nurse or suitably trained Nursing Assistant will check your pet as often as is deemed to be necessary by the Vet on duty. The frequency of checks will vary depending on the individual patients needs. A typical schedule would be for the patient to be checked when the surgery closes, again around 10pm and not again until the premises re-open at 8.30am. At times other than for scheduled checks, the premises will not be manned unless the Vet is attending another patient, at which time additional checks will be performed.

At weekends and public holidays, routine checks will be performed every 4-6 hours during the day and as above over night unless the individual patient has specific needs.

We will phone you on the number that you gave us on the admission form to report on your pet’s condition. Please do not phone us when the surgery is closed.