The RCVS, which is the governing body of all Veterinary Surgeons in the UK, produces a ‘Code of Professional Conduct’ which all Vets working in the UK must follow. They have recently made some changes to this Code which have now come into force.

The key changes are:

The RCVS (the governing body of the Veterinary Industry) has brought in new rules with regard to prescribing of medications. The new “under-care” guidelines cover all drugs but mainly affect antimicrobials (antibiotics), antiparasitic (flea and worm treatments) and controlled drugs (some strong painkillers such as gabapentin).

They mean that we are not allowed to prescribe without having seen the animal for a consultation except in exceptional circumstances. This may mean you may be asked to bring your pet in more regularly for check ups to allow us to abide to these rules. In most cases, if we have seen your pet/s within the last 12 months or if they have their annual vaccination/s, this should be adequate for us to prescribe flea and worm treatment for the following year.

If we have not seen your pet within the previous 12 months, we will need to re see your pet in order that we abide by these rules and to prescribe flea and worm treatment for them. Similarly, if you change from one flea and wormer product to another, the above also applies. There will be a repeat Consultation charge for this of £32.

Please be understanding to our staff if they ask you to bring your pet in to be seen. Further details can be found on the RCVS website or speak to the Vet next time you are in. We advise that you contact the practice by telephone or email to request your pet’s flea, tick, and worm treatment to ensure that we are able to prescribe the required medication.