AMTRA is exploring whether it can support community pharmacies, which it reports are expressing an interest in animal medicines.
Stephen Dawson, AMTRA chief executive, said: “We are in some discussions with the pharmacy sector about whether we could support community pharmacies that either want to become involved in the supply of animal medicines or who are already involved in the supply of animal medicines.
“We’ve got an increasing library of CPD, which could be of value to them. Unlike with human medicines, where the pharmacist can effectively delegate that role to someone else, that’s not possible under the Veterinary Medicines Regulation, so it either needs to be done by the pharmacist, or they need trained and qualified SQPs on the premises.”
From a regulatory legal perspective, all pharmacists are legally entitled to supply animal medicines.
“They also have a professional duty to make sure that they have undertaken enough training and CPD to make sure that they have the skills and the up-to-date knowledge to do that well and appropriately,” Mr Dawson added.
Looking ahead, Mr Dawson said there will be a value in a rejigging of the regulatory environment, so that some of the prescription obligations that fall on farm and equine products, also fall on companion animal products.
“We don’t want to impose burdens on the pharmaceutical companies by forcing them to relabel all their products from NFA-VPS to POM-VPS,” he said.
“However, the fact is that at the moment the regulatory regime for NFA-VPS products is good, as it makes sure that customers have a conversation with an SQP, vet or pharmacist about safe and effective use, but it doesn’t require a conversation about risk-based prescribing and risk-based choice of products – does every dog and every cat need to be treated 12 times a year?”
Mr Dawson added that the British Veterinary Association has made it clear that it is not advocating for a change in POM-VPS products to go to POM-V.
It’s more a question of that’s their baseline, if they were to perceive that there was a weakness in SQP controls, then they might come back to that.
“I think there is confidence in the SQP controls, and, potentially, we might have an ally there in terms of those regulatory changes in due course,” he added.
In The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee’s recent inquiry into Pet Parasite Medication (PPM), Dr Elizabeth Mullineaux, senior vice president at BVA, stated that “not everywhere in the country will have a small animal SQP on their doorstep”.
Mr Dawson said: “I think the SQP retail supply chain is well placed to offer advice and supply wherever you happen to be in the country.
“But equally, if people want to go to their vet, then that’s fine too, because vets are clearly well placed, but maybe not everyone has a vet on the doorstep either.”
AHDA secretary general Bryan Lovegrove said AHDA members employ around 80% of AMTRA SQPs.
“This can only add strength in depth to AMTRA and is something that AHDA supports,” he said.
