Anyone who wishes to sell veterinary medicines over the internet in Ireland must register with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and have their name listed on the approved ‘Internet Supply List’.

If a pharmacy is interested in engaging in this activity, those in governance roles should complete an application form, pay the associated fee and submit the relevant documentation to the DAFM. Please note, that the Department may require additional information or may choose to inspect the pharmacy premises before granting a license.

Once the application is approved by the DAFM the pharmacy name is added to the DAFM’s ‘Internet Supply List’ and the Department provides an EU common logo and guidelines on how to use it. This logo should be displayed on each page on which veterinary medicinal products are on view. By clicking on the EU common logo displayed, members of the public are redirected to the website responsible for the registration of the retailer, in this case, the DAFM.

As outlined on the European Commission website (see food.ec.europa.eu > Animals > Animal health

Veterinary medicines and medicated feed > EU logo for online sale of veterinary medicines), the purpose of this logo is to ensure members of the public know that:

• The pharmacy or other veterinary product supplier is registered with the ‘Internet Supply List’ of the DAFM;
• That the pharmacy or other supplier is legally entitled to sell veterinary medicinal products over the internet; and
• That it is safe for the users to procure veterinary medicinal products from that pharmacy or supplier.

If there are any changes regarding the particulars submitted to the DAFM from the initial registration, or any material changes affecting the operation of the pharmacy, these changes should be submitted to the DAFM for approval.

Veterinary medicinal products that can be sold over the internet

The veterinary medicines that can be sold and supplied over the internet are:

• Non-prescription veterinary medicines, including Licensed Retailer (LRs) and companion animal medicines (CAM); and
• Antiparasitic prescription-only medicines for food-producing animals supplied on foot of a prescription.

In the circumstances that this licence is granted to a pharmacy, veterinary medicinal products classified by the Health Product Regulatory Authority (HPRA) as prescription-only exempt [POM(e)] are permitted to be sold under this licence. Please note that [POM(e)] are subject to professional advice at the point of sale.

If the purchaser is located outside Ireland, the pharmacy and/or retailer holding an internet sales license should only supply veterinary medicinal products which are authorised for sale in Ireland, to a person/s who is/are lawfully permitted to receive such a product, in accordance with the national legislation of the destination country. If in doubt regarding the status of a particular veterinary medicinal product intended to be sold to an EU Member State or about the rules applied in that particular country, queries should be addressed to the relevant regulatory authority in that country. Prescription-only veterinary medicinal products should not be sold to another Member State or a third country.

Delivery of medicines

Veterinary medicinal products should be supplied in-line with the marketing authorisation requirements. The packaging used for the supply of veterinary medicinal products should maintain the integrity of the product while in transit to the purchaser. For cold-chain veterinary medicinal products, the pharmacist should ensure that the necessary measures are put in place to meet the storage requirements of the product while in transit. The Department advises to carry out and document a risk assessment relating to this activity.

The order delivered should include at least a hard copy of the order placed by the purchaser containing a section enabling the purchaser to confirm the receipt of the consignment. This receipt should be returned by the purchaser to the pharmacy. The pharmacy should not process any additional orders from this purchaser until such time as the receipt confirmation is received at the pharmacy.

Record of supply

Pharmacies licensed by the DAFM for the sale and supply of veterinary medicines over the internet must maintain separate records (except incoming stock records), and documents relating to the internet supply activity, including the signature of the responsible person who made the supply and the date of the supply.

These records should contain at least the particulars listed below, as outlined in Article 103 of the VMP Regulations 2019/6:

• Date of the transaction;
• The name of the veterinary medicinal product including, as appropriate, the pharmaceutical form and strength;
• Batch number;
• Quantity supplied;
• Name and address of the recipient (purchaser);
• Name and contact details of the prescribing veterinarian and, where appropriate, a copy of the veterinary prescription (in the case of antiparasitic veterinary medicinal products supplied on foot of a prescription); and
• Marketing authorisation.

Conclusion

For more information regarding the sale of veterinary medicines over the internet from a community pharmacy, please visit gov.ie/en/publication/2c1eb-internet-sale-of-veterinary-medicinal-products and the IPU Veterinary Services page at ipu.ie > Professional Services > Veterinary Services.

References available on request.