Retail of veterinary medicines

Guidance for vets, pharmacists and suitably qualified persons (SQPs) on prescribing or supplying veterinary medicines including the requirements for the registration and inspection of premises.

Under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMR) vets, pharmacists and SQPs, collectively known as RQPs, can prescribe or supply certain categories of authorised veterinary medicines that they are qualified and registered to supply.

The distribution categories for authorised medicines are:

The details and distribution categories for all medicines authorised for use in the UK can be found on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s Product Information Database.

In addition to the above there is also an exemption under Schedule 6 of the VMR that allows products for small pet animals to be supplied legally without a marketing authorisation.

For information on how to prescribe a product under the cascade, the provision in the VMR that allows a vet to prescribe medicines that would not otherwise be permitted, refer to the cascade guidance.

A POM-V medicine may only be supplied if it has been prescribed by a vet following a clinical assessment of the animal, which must be under their care.

The VMR does not define ‘clinical assessment’ or ‘under their care’ and vets should use their professional judgment to interpret what this means in individual cases. However, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has interpreted both phrases.

A vet may supply a POM-V product they have prescribed or, if a client requests one, issue a written prescription for the client to buy the product from another supplier. In either case, the prescribing vet must retain clinical responsibility for the treatment and the animal under their care.