17 Oct 2025
Industry leaders said the recommendations recognised its “safeguards” despite criticism from some veterinary and welfare groups.
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An industry group has praised regulators for resisting calls to reform the system that governs veterinary medicine prescriptions.
Some clinical and welfare groups have called for changes to the cascade structure in their submissions to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) investigation of companion animal services.
But the authority’s provisional remedy proposals published earlier this week did not advocate changes to the protocol, a move welcomed by NOAH’s chief executive, Dawn Howard.
She said: “This recognises the importance of retaining veterinary clinical judgement and the safeguards that underpin responsible medicine use.”
The future of the cascade was initially questioned by the inquiry group’s chair, Martin Coleman, at last year’s London Vet Show when he suggested the rules could be reviewed while the investigation was ongoing.
Although the idea was swiftly rejected by the VMD, groups including BEVA and Dogs Trust voiced concerns about the present system in their evidence to the probe.
British Veterinary Union (BVU) officials also reiterated their call for reform to a system they consider to be “outdated” in response to the authority’s provisional remedy decisions, released earlier this week.
But NOAH insisted the cascade remains a “critical regulatory framework”, guaranteeing animal health and welfare, species-specific treatments and continued product innovation.
Mrs Howard said the inquiry group’s recommendations reflected “many of the issues” raised by her organisation and others.
She added: “We look forward to reviewing the full report and engaging with the consultation process to help ensure the final recommendations deliver real benefits while supporting a sustainable, innovative veterinary sector.”