FAQs

You can find a course in the following ways:

• Access your ‘My Academy’ area from the top of the homepage. This is your personalised area of the Academy where you can view the courses available to you.
• The categories on our homepage host courses with a similar subject area or for a similar target audience. You can explore courses in this way by clicking on a category of interest.
• If you know the course name that you would like to complete, you can access it quickly by using the search function on the top right-hand side of the homepage.

When you start looking for a job, some employers may indicate that they are an RCVS Approved Graduate Development Practice, either on their website, social media or other channels. If you don’t see this however, please don’t assume they’re not an approved practice, as they may be working towards it or just may not have advertised it yet. If they are not, ask them if they are happy to do so because you will need to complete VetGDP.

You can find RCVS Approved practices by using our Find a Vet website.

From enrolment through to qualification, please contact us at:

Veterinary Nursing Department
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
The Cursitor
38 Chancery Lane
London
WC2A 1EN

T 020 7202 0788  
E [email protected]

Post-qualification, please contact us at:

Registration Department
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
The Cursitor
38 Chancery Lane
London
WC2A 1EN

T 020 7202 0707
E [email protected]

If you are taking a synoptic exam your provider will notify the RCVS when you have passed and you will automatically be sent a designated certificate and confirmation of your post nominals.

If you do not wish to take a synoptic exam within the next 6 months and have passed 6 appropriate modules, you will be emailed a form to complete once we have confirmation of your final module pass, for us to verify your records and issue you with a CertAVP certificate and confirm that you may use your CertAVP post nominal.

Look carefully at the EPA booklet and each of the EPAs that you have selected to be in your e-portfolio. Look at the description of the EPA - are you competent to perform those activities? Does your e-portfolio show a breadth and depth of examples? Does your e-portfolio give examples of where you meet the relevant success criteria?

Does your portfolio show evidence of progress? Have you set goals, with the assistance of your VetGDP Adviser, and shown evidence of achieving them? Are you a competent and confident Veterinary Surgeon who can perform all activities within your role without support?

Have you checked that your e-portfolio does not contain any personal/identifiable for yourself, the clients or the practice?

You can check your Direct Debit status in the 'My Account' area. Alternatively, please check with your bank to see if this is set up.

If you are unsure you can contact the Finance Department at [email protected].

Upon successful submission you will be taken to a ‘Thank you’ page that confirms we have received your details. You will also receive an email confirming your submission. NB if you don't see the submission message, or you don't receive a confirmation email (please check all your folders), then your annual renewal may not have been successfully submitted.

Once you have confirmed your details you can proceed to the online payment area, return to your profile page or select to view your submission, where you can then print a copy of it. Please note that you can only review and print your submission at the time of completing your annual renewal. You can't go back and do this at a later date.

If your employer requires proof that you have completed your annual renewal in full, please provide them with a copy of the email confirmation you will automatically receive.

You can view your email address in the 'My Account' area, under the 'Update Details' tab. Alternatively, you can contact the Registration Department on 0207 202 0707 or [email protected].

You should pay your annual renewal fee online via the ‘My Account’ area. Once you have logged in and completed your annual renewal form, you may go straight to the ‘Online payment’ area. You may make your payment using a Visa debit or credit card, or MasterCard.

Out-of-date stock

Destruction - The legal requirements to witness the destruction of Schedule 2 CDs apply to stock. This refers to CDs that have not been issued or dispensed to a patient.

However, any leftover medicines, for example liquids, which are still required for use, are considered as stock. A witness is required if these are to be destroyed on expiry or for other reasons.

The following are examples of out-of-date stock:

• The remains of bottles of Ketamine, Methadone, or Fentanyl 28 days after broaching.
• Any other Schedule 2 CDs that have passed their expiry date.

There are commercially available denaturing kits, and these can be used to destroy out-of-date stock CDs and returned CDs. Veterinary surgeons should follow the instructions for use and disposal specific to the kit, as these may differ depending on the kit used.

Recording - The VMD advise that a record must be made of the date of destruction and the quantity destroyed, which the witness must sign. The witness, if an independent veterinary surgeon, should record their RCVS number and confirm their independence in writing in the CD register. The VMD also say that the following information should be recorded: name of the CD, form, strength and quantity, and the signature of the professional destroying the drug.

Expired stock should not be marked out of the running balance in the CDR until it is destroyed.

Returned drugs

Destruction – Any CDs returned to the practice by clients should not be re-used and should be destroyed as soon as possible. The VMD advises that the CD must be clearly labelled as a return and stored in the CD cabinet – but separated from practice stock CDs to avoid potential dispensing errors or re-use.

Recording - The VMD advise that the requirements to witness and record the destruction of CDs do not apply to returned CDs. However, they advise that it would be good practice for veterinary surgeons should consider making a record of any CD that is returned and having the destruction witness by another member of staff and signed against. This can be recorded in a separate book or sheets designed for that purpose.

Where an animal has died part way through treatment, the VMD recommends that the prescribing veterinary surgeon should consider making every effort to recover and destroy any remaining product.

Residual or waste drugs

Destruction - There is no legal requirement to have the disposal of waste product witnessed. Residual CDs are not usually denatured using kits because, as their destruction is required daily, this would prove too costly. Instead, residual drugs can be rendered irretrievable by collection into cat litter. Periodically, this cat litter is then sent as pharmaceutical waste through the waste contractor.

Recording - Any medicine left over in an ampoule, vial, or injected into fluids to make a constant rate infusion, which is considered unusable, is considered waste product (as opposed to practice stock). Both the amount administered, and the amount denatured should be recorded on the same line of the CDR to ensure that the running balance tallies – e.g. if 10mg morphine is dispensed to a patient but only 5mg is administered the record should show that 5mg was given and 5mg was wasted. Doing so ensures that the whole vial or ampoule is accounted for in the CDR. It is good practice for the entry in the CDR to be double signed.