Important information for AMTRA RAMAs as the new Veterinary Medicines Regulations come into force

The new Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMRs) come into force today - Friday 17th May 2024. The new regulations and guidelines will be updated on the VMD website (New Veterinary Medicines Regulations now in force - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).

AMTRA CEO, Stephen Dawson says: "AMTRA welcomes the new legislation which we prepared a comprehensive response to during the consultation process last year. It will bring many benefits to the regulatory environment for veterinary medicines.  

"We’re delighted to see that the VMD listened to the concerns we raised and the suggestions we put forward to further strengthen this important piece of legislation.   

"We are pleased that the VMD proposal to change the classification for new immunological veterinary medicines so they can only be prescribed by vets, has not been implemented. AMTRA also welcomes the modifications made to the labelling requirement proposals for veterinary medicines and that POM-V medicines other than antimicrobials, can continue to be advertised to professional keepers of animals.  

"In particular, we are pleased to see the addition of a requirement to make a record of the reason for prescribing the product, which is something we pushed for in the lead up to and during the consultation process. This is an update that AMTRA actively requested be included in the Regulations, as we believe it will support high quality prescribing. The reasons for prescribing a particular product will be available for audit by VMD, and may be taken into account by AMTRA in any case that reaches our Professional Standards Committee. The shift is aimed at encouraging and supporting evidence-based prescribing: for example, a faecal egg count (FEC) indicative of a parasite burden could be a good reason to prescribe, and evidence of a particular pattern of resistance on a farm would be a good reason to choose particular active ingredients."

There are a range of amendments to the VMRs, some of which are directly relevant to SQPs/RAMAs and may affect their day-to-day work.  A new Code of Practice has been issued and AMTRA will circulate that to its RAMAs/SQPs and students shortly, along with some commentary and guidance to support RAMAs/SQPs and businesses.

AMTRA has developed a quick reference overview to highlight some of the key updates relevant to SQPs/RAMAs to help support in understanding the changes that have been made to the legislation. Details can be viewed here: amtra.org.uk/vmr