12/01/2024
Under Care-New RCVS Guidance 2024
The new guidance requires an examination of your animal to be performed before prescribing medication.
Once an examination has been carried out, it may be possible to prescribe for up to 6 months depending on the type of medication required.
The key changes that will affect owners are:
All antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals and controlled drugs require an in person physical exam by a veterinarian.
This applies to all antibiotics, including oral, injectable, and topical (creams and eye ointments). Antibiotics cannot be given based on photographs or videos only - a physical examination of the animal is required legally.
Other POM-V’s e.g. phenylbutazone (Equipalazone®) or pergolide (Prascend®) may be prescribed after a horse has had a physical examination or, in certain situations, a virtual consultation with a veterinarian. Horse wormers e.g. Equest pramox®, Panacur Equine Guard® and Noromectin are POM-VPS category medicines and dispensing legislation is unchanged.
The guidance is an important step towards ensuring responsible antimicrobial use and reducing the veterinary impact on the wider issues of global antibiotic resistance, decline of insect populations and the potential misuse of controlled drugs.
