We would like to provide some information so you can understand the legislation that governs our ability to dispense certain drugs to you. These rules and responsibilities can be misunderstood by clients, particularly when their animal is on long term prescription medication.
To abide by the rules and regulations we need to perform regular medication reviews to continue to prescribe medicines for them. The frequency of these reviews will depend on several factors such as the age of your pet, the stability of their condition and the type of medication being prescribed.
Most medications are classified as Prescription Only Medicines (POM-V). This means that they can only be provided under a veterinary prescription for a specific condition in a specific animal. Legally, the animal must be defined as “under our care” for us to prescribe a POM-V. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons provide a code of conduct, it details the rules by which vets must abide by.
These regulations mean that we cannot provide or prescribe POM-vs without having clinically examined your animal, and within a recent time frame to have full knowledge of their weight and condition. It is rare that this assessment will be thorough enough to perform safely and effectively over a telephone consultation. With some medicine groups, such as antibiotics, we are strictly prohibited from prescribing this way.
We recommend an in-person visit is always best to ensure a thorough assessment is made prior to the prescription being authorised. It usually provides you with the best value from the consultation fee too. The vets are required by law to make sure they are ensuring safe and effective prescribing, so please bear with us when we ask to see your animal.
