The Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMRs) 2024 have now been approved and will come into place on Friday 17th May. The new regulations and guidelines will be updated via the VMD website on Friday.
There are a large number of amendments to the VMRs, some of which you should be aware of because they may affect your day-to-day work. A full outline of the changes relevant to you as practitioners will be available once the full regulations and guidance notes are in place. However, we would like to make you aware of some key requirements in advance of the legislation:
Prophylactic use of antibiotics
Summary: The prophylactic use of antibiotics is restricted. VMR text:
- 1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) a veterinary surgeon may not prescribe a veterinary medicinal product which is an antibiotic for prophylactic purposes.
- (2) Without prejudice to paragraph 6(1A), a veterinary surgeon may only prescribe a veterinary medicinal product which is an antibiotic for administration to an animal for prophylactic purposes in exceptional circumstances where the risk of an infection or of an infectious disease is very high and where the consequences of not prescribing the product are likely to be severe.
- (3) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), a veterinary surgeon may only prescribe a veterinary medicinal product which is an antibiotic for administration to a group of animals for prophylactic purposes where the circumstances set out in sub-paragraph (4) apply.
- (4) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (3) the circumstances are that— - the rationale for prescribing the product to the group of animals is clearly recorded by the veterinary surgeon prescribing it; and
- - a management review is carried out by a veterinary surgeon at, or as soon as reasonably practicable after, administration of the product in order to identify factors and implement measures for the purpose of eliminating the need for any future such administration.
Data recording for administration of antibiotics
VMR text:
- (5) A veterinary surgeon who prescribes a veterinary medicinal product which is an antibiotic must make a record of the satisfaction of the relevant conditions for the purposes of its use in accordance with this paragraph and keep that documentation for at least five years.”.
Withdrawal periods for products administered under the cascade
VMR text:
- (3) In any event, unless the Secretary of State has specified in writing a different withdrawal period for a particular veterinary medicinal product, the withdrawal period (irrespective of whether or not a maximum residue limit has been established must not be less than--
- (b) for milk—
- (i) the longest withdrawal period in the summary of the product characteristics for any species multiplied by a factor of 1.5;
- (ii) 7 days, if the medicinal product is not authorised for animals producing milk for human consumption; or
- (iii) one day, if the medicinal product has a zero-hour withdrawal period.
Use of autogenous vaccine
VMR text:
An autogenous vaccine may only be administered to animals in exceptional circumstances where no immunological veterinary medicinal product has been authorised in relation to the target species and indication.
BCVA will provide members with further updates in the coming weeks.
MORE INFORMATION - https://www.vmdconnect.uk/regulations
