Veterinary Services
The EU Regulation 2019/6 is generally referred to as the New Veterinary Regulation (NVR). This legislation relates to the authorisation, use and monitoring of veterinary medicinal products within the EU.
The Irish Veterinary regulatory framework is now in place to enable pharmacists to supply veterinary medicines from a retail pharmacy business.
The key changes of the legislation that are applicable to retail pharmacy businesses are:
- The maximum validity of a veterinary prescription is: 6 months for non-antimicrobials veterinary medicines and 5 days for antimicrobials veterinary medicines.
- From 9 June 2025 antiparasitic prescription-only medicines must be supplied on foot of a valid veterinary prescription.
- From 13 January 2025 the use of the National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS) is implemented. The NVPS should be used for issuing veterinary prescriptions to producing animals and equines (please see exceptions in the prescription section of this website)
- Human medicines classified as unlicensed (ULM) in Ireland cannot be supplied under the ‘Cascade’
1.
Veterinary Prescription
The EU 2019/6 Veterinary Medicinal Products (VMP) and S.I. 462 of 2024 of the Veterinary Medicinal Products regulations set the legal requirements on how veterinary prescriptions must be written, their format and how they should be endorsed once dispensed.
Format of a veterinary prescription
A veterinarian can issue prescriptions through the National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS), electronically or on paper.
Paper veterinary prescription
A veterinary prescription issued on paper should be issued in triplicate. The original and one copy are provided to the animal keeper and the second copy is kept by the veterinarian for record keeping. Therefore, the animal keeper should present at the pharmacy with an original prescription and a copy. The pharmacists will retain the original if the prescription is dispensed in full and return the copy of the prescription to the animal keeper for their own record keeping.
Electronic prescription
A veterinary prescription issued outside of the national database (NVPS) can be transmitted electronically to the animal keeper once it has been fully dispensed at the time of issuing and is endorsed with the words “dispensed”.
National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS)
From 13 January 2025, Veterinary prescriptions will be issued through the NVPS for food-producing animals and equines. However, the Minister has exempted some veterinarians from using this system and their prescriptions will be paper-based.
Legal requirements for veterinary prescriptions
Veterinary prescriptions presented at the pharmacy, whether for medicines of medicated feeds, must contain at least the following particulars:
Endorsement of paper veterinary prescription
Prescription partially dispensed
The pharmacist must record on the prescription and the copy of the prescription in a conspicuous, legible and indelible manner these particulars and return the original prescription to the animal keeper:
- The quantity of the medicinal product or medicated feed dispensed
- The date of the supply
- The pharmacist’s signature
Prescription fully dispensed
The pharmacist must record on the prescription and the copy of the prescription in a conspicuous, legible and indelible manner these particulars and return the copy of the prescription to the animal keeper:
- The word ‘dispensed’
- The date of the supply
- The pharmacist’s signature
2.
Emergency Supplies
Pharmacists can supply a prescription-only veterinary medicinal product if a registered veterinarian makes a request whom because of an emergency cannot furnish with a prescription immediately. The following circumstances must be met:
- The medicinal product cannot be a controlled drug
- The medicinal product is dispensed in accordance with the directions of the veterinarian’s request
- The medicinal product is labelled in accordance with the requirements of the legislation
- The veterinarian furnishes the corresponding veterinary prescription within 72 hours
Once the pharmacy receives the corresponding veterinary prescription, it should be endorsed in accordance with the requirements of the legislation and retained at the pharmacy premises for five years.
If the veterinarian does not provide the prescription, the pharmacist must not supply future emergency supplies from this veterinarian.
3.
Supplying a different medicinal product to the one prescribed
Supplying a veterinary medicine from the comparable list
When a veterinary medicinal product prescribed appears on the list of comparable products on the national database, the pharmacists can dispense a comparable product in lieu of the prescribed product. Pharmacy can only practise this if:
- The pharmacist has evaluated the differences between the product specifications of both products;
- The animal keeper/owner is informed and made aware of any possible differences including withdrawal periods;
- The animal keeper/owner provides their consent for the substitution.
Supplying a veterinary medicinal product under the 'cascade'
When a human medicine has been prescribed for an animal for Articles 112, 113 and 114 of the VMP Regulation, an interchangeable human medicine available on the HPRA interchangeable list can be supplied in lie to the medicine prescribed. The pharmacists must obtain the animal keeper/owner consent for this substitution and maintain records of the product supplied for five years at the retail pharmacy business.
4.
Sales at a distance
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.
The veterinary medicines that can be sold and supplied over the Internet are:
- non-prescription veterinary medicines (including LR and CAM); and
- antiparasitic prescription only medicines for food-producing animals supplied of foot of a prescription.
To register complete download the application for a License to sell veterinary medicinal products via the internet by a holder of a veterinary medicinal product retailer’s licence, companion animal medicine seller or pharmacist form and:
- email it to veterinarymedicinesWMC@agriculture.gov.ie or
- post it to ERAD (Veterinary Medicines), Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Backweston Campus; Young’s Cross; Celbridge Co Kildare.
5.
DAFM - NVPS registration process
The National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS) is a secure electronic prescription system developed by the Department of Agriculture. From 13 January the NVPS will be used by veterinarians to issue prescriptions to food-producing animals and equines. If your pharmacy supplies medicines to this cohort of animals your pharmacy and pharmacists involved in the dispensing must register with the NVPS. Please download and complete the following documentation:
The DAFM has available on their website training videos regarding the logging and use of the NVPS. Click here to access them.
6.
Health Product Regulatory Authority (HPRA)
7.
IPU Review Articles
- IPU Review Dec 2021 - DAFM "Significant changes on way for veterinary medicines prescription system"
- IPU Review Jun 2021 - HPRA "Changes ahead in regulation of veterinary medicine"
- IPU Review Jun 2021 - IPU "Veterinary medicines: new regulations – what will this mean for pharmacists?"
- Veterinary medicinal products – IPU raises concerns in Oireachtas Committee – by Clare Fitzell Head of the Professional Services Unit (November 2022)
