Merchants fear fallout as anti-parasitic rule change looms
As EU veterinary medicine product regulations come into effect, farmers will require a valid veterinary prescription for all oral, injectable, and pour-on products, starting December 1. File photo
Anti-parasitic medicines for food-producing animals will become prescription-only on December 1.
With the deadline just 17 days away, some co-ops have announced price reductions for anti-parasitic medicines, while stocks last. There are also some warnings of issues with stock availability leading up to December 1.
As EU veterinary medicine product regulations come into effect, farmers will require a valid veterinary prescription for all oral, injectable, and pour-on products, starting December 1. It is part of EU policy for responsible use of veterinary medicines, and to reduce antimicrobial and anti-parasitic resistance in animals and humans.
Huge changes have been on the cards for the availability of veterinary medicines since a 2019 report from Ireland's Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) called for "up-regulation" of anti-parasitics to prescription-only medicine status, due to evidence of anti-parasitic resistance.
But industry resistance and the slowness of the transition to digital prescriptions via the National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS) delayed measures. Now, the day has arrived for owners of many businesses engaged in the sale of anti-parasitics, who fear the prescription-only move will put them out of business.
They fear a repeat of their loss of sales of intramammary antibiotics, which collapsed after a new prescribing regime came into effect in January 2022. Prior to 2022, co-ops had more than 40% of intramammary sales, this has fallen to about 2%. Sales were lost to veterinary practices.
Total intramammary sales have not changed much, but many co-ops and merchants have now ceased to stock intramammary tubes.
Now, if co-ops and merchants want to try to stay in the veterinary medicine market, they must invest significant funds into IT software changes, even though this software may not even be needed, if businesses cannot hold onto enough sales.
Many merchants have found it challenging to incorporate the NVPS into their operations. NVPS is the electronic prescription platform developed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
One of the NVPS aims is to enable the DAFM to meet its obligations for annual veterinary medicinal usage reporting to EU authorities. Software providers have promised to deliver streamlined NCPS-compliant services to give merchants the best chance of competing with the veterinary practices that are at the centre of prescribing.
Through the NVPS, prescriptions are generated electronically and uploaded to a central database. Farmers receive their prescription details via email or SMS to present at any licensed outlet for dispensing. Prescriptions for antimicrobials are valid for five days, but for up to six months for anti-parasitics.
It remains to be seen how well the new anti-parasitic restrictions will work. Potential problems have caused several cancellations of prescription-only changes in recent years.
Veterinary practices have been slow to register on the NVPS. Some farmers fear they will be unable to get essential animal treatments when they need them.
