Under care: RCVS delays implementation of anti-parasitics guidance

The RCVS has delayed part of its “under care” guidance specifically around antiparasitic POM-V products until the new year to allow practices time to comply with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMRs).

New under care guidance came in for the profession on 1 September, but has now been delayed for prescription of POM-V antiparasitics until 12 January 2024.

The decision was made amid increasing reports of widespread non-compliance by veterinary practices with an aspect of the VMRs, which are set by the VMD, and feedback from a number of veterinary practices concerned about their ability now to achieve compliance.

Non-compliance

By not complying with VMD rules about including within patient records prescriptions for antiparasitics that are POM-Vs, veterinary practices have discovered they are unable to follow the college’s new guidance on under care and remote prescribing, which was published on 20 January 2023 and came into effect on 1 September 2023, without physically examining a large number of animals.

The college said that while no specific form for a prescription exists within patient records, it needs to include enough information so that the person supplying against it knows what to do, whether they are another veterinary surgeon, a veterinary nurse, an SQP or a lay member of staff.

Under the new under care guidance, veterinary surgeons must perform a physical examination as part of their initial clinical assessment of an animal before prescribing POM-V antiparasitics.

‘Surprising and disappointing’

RCVS president Sue Paterson said: “While it has been both surprising and disappointing to learn of such widespread non-compliance with legislation that has been in place for many years, council decided to postpone the implementation of this one aspect of our new under care guidance to allow practices additional time to bring their prescribing protocols into line with VMD rules.

“Council felt this would be a compassionate and pragmatic approach in light of the amount of additional work non-compliant practices now need to undertake to rectify their prescribing protocols, while at the same time continuing to provide services to the animal-owning public in a period of workforce shortages and high client demand.”