New National Veterinary Prescription System

In the past, farmers could simply visit their local vet or agricultural merchant and buy animal health products over the counter. Under new regulations, however, these products can only be purchased with a prescription issued by a veterinary surgeon. James Fitzgerald, Drystock Advisor, Teagasc Ballina, tells us more.

To streamline this process the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has introduced the National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS) to monitor and record the use of these medicines.

What has changed?

The key difference is that farmers can no longer buy these medicines over the counter and treat animals without first engaging with their vet to have the medicine they require dispensed.

To get a prescription, farmers can contact their vet directly or use the NVPS system on their online Agfood account. Alternatively, they may complete a “Proper Assessment Protocol” form at the retailer, which is then sent to a veterinary surgeon working on behalf of that retailer. This form requires information about the farm, including herd details, animal types, treatment history and animal health information such as faecal egg counts. The prescribing vet may contact the farmer for clarification if necessary.

When a vet issues a prescription, the farmer receives a text message containing the prescription code and the farmer can return to the retailor to complete the purchase. A printed copy can also be provided if requested. Farmers are not restricted to a specific retailer and are free to purchase medicines from any retailer they wish. Purchases can also be made for different dispensed products from different retailers if desired, even if both products appear on the same prescription, each will have its own unique line number and code to tally with the NVPS.

Once a retailer supplies a product, they update the NVPS system, and the farmer receives an email confirmation showing that the medicine has been dispensed.

How long is a prescription valid?

Prescriptions for antiparasitic medicines remain valid for six months. This allows farmers to work with their vet to develop a structured herd or flock health plan, covering parasite control for the following six to twelve months.

The farmer does not need to use all the prescribed medicine within six months of the prescription being written, but if use of a product is intended it must be purchased before the prescription expires.

Partial dispensing is also permitted. For instance, if a prescription is written for 2.5 litres of a product and the farmer initially buys only 1 litre, the retailer records this on the NVPS. When the farmer returns to purchase more of the same product, the system will show the quantity already purchased and the balance of 1.5 litres still available.

What if the exact product is unavailable?

If the product named on the prescription is not available, the retailer can select an equivalent product (same active ingredient) from a list within the NVPS system. One of these like-for-like products may be sold to the customer in place of the product names on the prescription.

What information is recorded?

In a format similar to the National Fertiliser Database, all prescribed and dispensed veterinary medicines for your farm are recorded on the NVPS. Farmers can access these records through the NVPS portal on AgFood, providing a centralised record of all animal health medicine purchases which is useful for farm inspections and audits.

Opportunity

Some might view the development of the NVPS as unnecessary regulation, but this development does provide opportunities for the better use of animal remedies and better herd and flock health overall.

The opportunity to engage with your vet to develop a health plan specific to your farm can provide a range of benefits such as:

1. Preventing overall farm over and under treatment for specific parasites and diseases
2. Promoting the use of the correct medicine at the correct time so that better parasite kill rates and cover can be achieved.
3. Preventing the overuse of a specific product or active ingredient which would lead to anthelmintic resistance on farm and the breakdown of herd/flock health.

Using the online NVPS

For those with access to Agfood online, the facility is now live for farmers to log in and request a prescription by email from their vet. Basic details are needed to complete this such as species of animals and number of animals to be treated, age and weight of animals and the reason for treatment.

When the vet receives the request, they will then prescribe a suitable product and volume for the intended animal treatment. The farmer then receives a text message with the prescription code needed by the retailer to dispense the product.

For those not using the Agfood system, a face-to-face meeting with your vet can achieve the same aims, as can the above mentioned “Proper Assessment Protocol” form available from the retailer.