BVA pushes for Northern Ireland clarity as deadline looms
The letter warns of dangers to Northern Ireland's agri-food industry.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has joined a group of Northern Ireland organisations in a joint letter, as the post-Brexit grace period for veterinary medicine supplies to Northern Ireland draws to a close.
The group calls for the UK government to release details on how its proposed schemes will work for veterinary practices in Northern Ireland, with the current grace period due to end on 31 December 2025.
In the letter addressed to Baroness Hayman of Ullock, parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, concerns have been raised about the actual number of medicines that could be unavailable or discontinued from 2026. It also details fears about how this might disrupt timely access to medications and how this might impact pet owners themselves.
The group warns this could mean further disruption, increased cost pressures, rising workload and avoidable disease pressure.
It explains that a significant proportion of preventative and herd health medicines in Northern Ireland are supplied by suitably qualified persons (SQPs). However, if availability is reduced or prescribing routes change, SQPs are unable to use the veterinary cascade to source alternatives.
This could be particularly impactful to Northern Ireland’s agri-food trade, with continuity of access to routine veterinary medicines essential to herd and flock health standards. If there is increased disease pressure, the letter warns of avoidable confidence and certification challenges for NI products.
The closure of the grace period is also expected to impact pet owners, who could face additional costs and inconvenience when familiar medicines become more difficult to source.
The letter praised work to develop the Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme (VMIMS) and the Veterinary Medicines Health Situations Scheme (VMHSS). However, it warns that uncertainty remains about how the schemes will work in practice.
The group has called for the Defra minister to provide ‘reassurance’ that arrangements will be in place to support interpretation of the new schemes. It has also requested on a meeting on the matter within the coming weeks.
Other signatories include BVA Northern Ireland Branch, The North of Ireland Veterinary Association, Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association and the Animal Health Distributors Association.
Image © Hryshchyshen Serhii/Shutterstock.com
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
