Should the UK require vet prescriptions for pet flea treatments?

UK ministers launch an eight-week consultation on restricting over-the-counter sales of potent pesticide-based spot-on flea and tick treatments for cats and dogs to prescriptions from vets or pharmacists. These products enter the environment via pets' fur, harming songbirds, fish, aquatic life, and bees—one dose for a large dog holds enough imidacloprid to kill 25 million bees. Recent Competition and Markets Authority rules cap vet prescription fees at £21 initially and £12.50 thereafter amid concerns over high vet costs.