New Guidance
From The 1st September the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has introduced new guidance on prescribing prescription-only medications.
The new guidance requires that a physical examination of your pet has to be preformed every time any antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals and antiparasiticides are prescribed. This includes topical preparations such as ear and eye drops, and all prescription flea/worm/tick products. A physical examination must also be performed when controlled drugs are prescribed. This applies even if you get a written prescription from us.
After your pet has been examined, our vets can authorize repeat prescriptions for flea and worming for the next 12 months as we normally do, unless you/we decide to change the product we are using (in which case another examination will be required).
What this means in practice is that your pet will need to come in for an in person consultation everytime your pet may need prescription only medication prescribed.
Some examples include:
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We need to prescribe medication for an eye infection
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We need to prescribe antibiotics for any skin problem, even if it’s a chronic problem
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We/you decide to change from one flea/worm/tick product to another
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A urinary tract infection is suspected ( a urine analysis alone is no longer sufficient)
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A gastrointestinal infection is suspected and antibiotics or an anti paraciticide is needed.
For the long term prescription medication that is not an antimicrobial/antiparasitic/controlled drug, our policy of requiring an examination will be every 6 months (patient and condition dependant) will apply.
Our Medication review consultation fee is £24.00
FLEA AND WORMING TREATMENTS
This will not come as something new to many of you as for some years we have asked for flea and worming treatments to be pre ordered so we can get them ready for collection so we may not be able to accommodate clients popping in for flea and worming treatments. Your pet will need to have been seen by a vet for an annual checkup and a prescription been written for the medication in your pets notes allowing a Veterinary Surgeon or Nurse to dispense the medication from the vets notes for the time period set. We will be fazing in the new flea and worm treatment rules over the next few months as this part of the rule change comes into place from 1st January 2024 so you will still be able to collect these if we have seen you this year but from January a consultation will be required to collect further medication.
If your pet is due an annual booster in the next few months at the consultation please ask for your notes to be updated when you come in to allow you to buy anti-parasiticides as you have done before, for the next 12 months.
We understand the stress this can cause some clients and their pets having to bring their pet back into the practice for a health check more often than they may currently do, however we ask for your patience and understanding as we try and adapt to these new guidelines that have been set and by law we have to follow.
Please visit: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/under-care-new-guidance/
Should you have any comments to make about these new rules please direct them to the Royal college of Veterinary Surgeons at info@rcvs.org.uk as they make the legislation that we have to follow.