Coronavirus: temporary guidance on remote prescribing to remain for time being

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on 14 June 2021 to delay the final stage of lifting Covid restrictions across England, together with indications that similar restrictions either currently, or will likely, remain in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for some weeks, the RCVS Standards Committee has decided to retain the College’s current temporary guidance on remote prescribing.

This guidance was approved on a temporary basis in the early stages of the pandemic last year to ensure that animal health and welfare could be maintained without risking the health of veterinary teams or their clients.

It allows veterinary surgeons practising across the UK to prescribe prescription-only veterinary medicines (POM-Vs) remotely without first having physically examined an animal, subject to a number of additional safeguards.

This position will be reviewed again by Standards Committee, no earlier than 19 July 2021, and further updates published in due course.

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