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New legislation to modernise VMR
The changes follow the government's response to a public consultation.
The government says it will make the UK a better place to develop medicines.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced new legislation for the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 (VMR), which it says will modernise and maintain the UK as a place to develop veterinary medicine.

The changes made to the VMR follow plans set out in the government’s response to last year’s public consultation.

Defra says that these changes will introduce new measures which will help to tackle antimicrobial resistance. The measures will increase the restrictions on antibiotic use, as well as antibiotics administered via feed.

This forms part of the government’s wider work to combat antimicrobial resistance, as the UK aims to contain and control antimicrobial resistance by 2040. The vision delivered through the UK’s five-year National Action Plan for AMR.

Defra has stated that its recent UK-Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance and Sales Surveillance (VARRS) report revealed that the sales of antibiotics for use in food-producing animals fell by almost 10 per cent last year. Antibiotics sales for this purpose have also dropped by 59 per cent since 2014.

Other changes will attempt to reduce regulatory burdens on marketing veterinary medicine, by facilitating the submission of one marketing authorisation application dossier to enable common packaging to be used across the UK.

The VMR sets out the controls for the marketing, manufacturing, distribution, possession, and administration of veterinary medicines and medicated feed. The rules are established to protect animal health, public health, and the environment.

Abi Seager, the Veterinary Medicine Directorate’s chief executive officer, said: “I am delighted that this much-anticipated legislation has been brought to Parliament.

“I would like to thank Lord Douglas-Miller for his input, and our stakeholders for helping to shape our thinking, both in responses to our consultation and through other contributions. We eagerly await parliamentarians discussing our proposals, and we hope they support these much-needed changes.”

Image © Shutterstock

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."