RCVS publishes guide to help professions navigate the 2024 Veterinary Medicines Regulations

Following the launch of new rules and regulations for veterinary medicines by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) earlier this year, we have now published a short guide to help veterinary professionals understand, interpret and act upon some of the significant changes.

The new Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMRs) 2024 set out the controls on the marketing, manufacture, distribution, possession, and administration of veterinary medicines and medicated feed in England, Scotland and Wales. Because of the particular arrangements of the ‘Windsor Framework’ agreement with the European Union, the new VMRs do not apply to Northern Ireland, although the 2013 VMRs, in addition to EU laws on veterinary medicines and medicated feeds, do still apply.

Following the publication of the VMRs, we have worked with the VMD to integrate relevant changes to our Code of Professional Conduct and its supporting guidance, as well as the Practice Standards Scheme rules, the core standards of which should be met by all UK veterinary practices, including those in Northern Ireland.

In addition, our Standards & Advice Team has worked on a guide that outlines and explains some of the key changes in the VMRs, including new offences related to misuse of the cascade and prescription fraud, new requirements on written prescriptions and record-keeping, and new rules on the prescribing of antibiotics. The guide can be read in full on the Features section of the our website.

Gemma Kingswell, our Head of Standards, said: “The RCVS Standards & Advice Team has been busy integrating all of the changes from the new VMRs into our existing guidance as well as producing this excellent guide which briefly explains some of the crucial changes and which we hope will prove useful to members of the professions. However, we also recommend that veterinary professionals visit the VMD website and read the new VMRs in full.

“If you have any questions about the guide, the changes and how they apply to your day-to-day practice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team on [email protected]”

The VMD has also published updated guidance that reflects the amendments, which can be found under Veterinary Medicines Guidance on GOV.UK, and further information can be found on the VMD Information Hub.