Legal categories

Veterinary Medicines Regulations

Useful Links
www.opsi.gov.uk

• www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20052751.htm
  • The supply of Relevant Veterinary Medical Products Order 2005
• www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20052745.htm
  • The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2005

www.dti.gov.uk
www.rcvs.org.uk

Legal Categories

AVM-GSL - Authorised Veterinary Medicine - General Sales List

• Formerly GSL
• These products can be sold by anyone and there are no restrictions.
• No prescription is required
• Pet prescription does not require any specific information regarding the patient

NFA-VPS - Non-food animal Medicine - veterinarian, pharmacist, SQP

• Formerly PML companion animal products and a few P products
• A medicine for companion animals (including horses not intended for human consumption) which must be supplied by a veterinarian, pharmacist, or SQP
• They can be supplied without a prescription
• The supplier must advise on safe administration, must advise on warnings or contra-indications on the label or package leaflet, and must be satisfied that the person who will use the product is competent to use it safely and intends to use it for a use for which it is authorised.
• To comply with the regulations stated above Pet prescriptions requires certain information about the animal for which the medicine is intended (as for POM-V products), primarily to ensure it is used safely and appropriately.

POM-VPS - Prescription-only medicine - veterinarian, pharmacist, SQP

• Formerly PML livestock products, MFSX products and a few P products
• A medicine for food producing animals 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 (only the product(s) specified in the prescription can be supplied and not an alternative)
• The supplier must advise on safe administration, must advise on warnings or contra-indications on the label or package leaflet, and must be satisfied that the person who will use the product is competent to use it safely and intends to use it for a use for which it is authorised.
• To comply with the regulations stated above Pet prescriptions requires certain information about the animal for which the medicine is intended (as for POM-V products), primarily to ensure it is used safely and appropriately.

POM-V - Prescription only medicine - veterinarian

• Formerly POM products and a few P products
• A medicine which must be prescribed (either orally or in writing) by a veterinarian to animal(s) under his care following clinical assessment, and which may be supplied by a veterinarian or pharmacist in accordance with the prescription (only the product(s) specified in the prescription can be supplied and not an alternative).
• The supplier must advise on safe administration, must advise on warnings or contra-indications on the label or package leaflet, and must be satisfied that the person who will use the product is competent to use it safely and intends to use it for a use for which it is authorised.
• To comply with the regulations stated above Pet prescriptions requires certain information about the animal for which the medicine is intended (as for POM-V products), primarily to ensure it is used safely and appropriately.

CD - Controlled Drug

A substance controlled by the Misuse of Drugs act 1971
There are additional requirements relating to the prescribing of controlled drugs.

Prescribing and Dispensing - Roles and Responsibilities

SQP = Suitably Qualified Person - is a person who holds an AMTRA certificate (Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority)

There is no requirement for a prescription to be physically written for either a POM-V or POM-VPS product if the person supplying is the same as the person prescribing. A client may request a written prescription, and have their animals' medicine supplied elsewhere. Vets may supply a product under a prescription (for a POM-V) written by another vet, or (for a POM-VPS) written by another vet, pharmacist, or SQP. In all cases, the person prescribing the product has the responsibility for the treatment and must advise accordingly.

A person who prescribes any product must provide advice relating to any warnings or contra indications relevant to the medicine, and must be satisfied that the person is competent and will use it as authorised.

Supply of Animal Medicines

Internet and Postal supply is permitted providing the supplier applies statutory controls

• A vet, pharmacist, or SQP prescribes and supplies the product ( except AVM-GSL), the vet, pharmacist or SQP does not necessarily need to be the same person
• Supplied under prescription where necessary ( POM-V, POM-VPS)
• Provides advice on safe administration, warnings and Contraindications, and is satisfied the person receiving the medicine is competent to use the product safely and intends to use it for a use for which it is authorised ( POM-V, POM-VPS, NFA-VPS).