Some 96% of vets are using third party software "at their own expense" to fulfil obligations under the National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS).

That is according to a statement submitted by Veterinary Ireland to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food.

Under the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Act 2023, which came into force two years ago, certain veterinary medicines became 'prescription only', meaning they could only be obtained with a prescription from a vet.

This move proved highly controversial for many in the sector, including vets themselves, farmers, and licenced merchants.

NVPS

Under the law, the department established the National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS) to record veterinary prescriptions, a system Veterinary Ireland criticised at the time for the additional costs it would create for vet practices.

Vets can submit prescriptions to this system by using a Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine web application, or by their own practice software.

However, in its submission to the committee, Veterinary Ireland indicated that the number of vets using the IT system provided by the department is small.

"Veterinary Ireland highlighted in its discussions with [the department] and in previous submissions to this committee that the costs associated with this system were significant and that no assistance was offered to veterinary practices to implement it," the organisation's statement said.

"Notwithstanding the costs and the logistical challenges, the NVPS is fully implemented. As predicted by Veterinary Ireland, the 'free' IT system provided by [the department] is only being used by 4% of vets, with 96% using third party software at their own expense," Veterinary Ireland said.

The organisation also criticised the provision in the law that allows vets to prescribe without having a relationship with the farmer or any knowledge of the farm - the Proper Assessment Protocol.

Anti-parasitics

Citing data from the NVPS itself, Veterinary Ireland said that only 30 vet practices combined prescribed 50% of all anti-parasitics under this provision, with over 1,400 vets prescribing the other 50%.

Veterinary Ireland said that this provision in the law is "regressive, anti-competitive and a threat to the provision of 24-hour care to the farmers of Ireland".

"There can be no improvements made to the increasing problem of anti-parasitic resistance when prescribing can take place without any proper veterinary advice. It makes a mockery of the act of prescribing," the organisation said.

Veterinary Ireland claimed that the Proper Assessment Protocol will "threaten the existence" of 24-hour cover "which Irish farmers value".

According to the vets' representative body, the protocol "has obliterated" the Client Patient Practice Relationship (CPPR) as "a universal obligation on vets that service the farming public".

Veterinary Ireland said there is "political pressure" to allow more of the veterinary sector-specific medicines be retailed through non-veterinary channels, with the organisation saying this is "simply anti-competitive".

"Veterinary practices must provide 24-hour care to animals and be available to service all farmers' needs.

"They cannot simply cherry pick the easy parts of the service and ignore the rest of their responsibilities.

"Any attempt to allow this will simply finish the provision of 24-hour veterinary to Irish farms," the group's submission said.