The Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has said that Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue must heed concerns from co-ops and merchants about proposed regulations for prescribing veterinary medicines.
Earlier this month, the minister confirmed that the passage of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertiliser Regulation Bill has been delayed.
This followed advice from the Attorney General on the issue of allowing non-vets to prescribe veterinary medicines which stated that it would not be legally possible to retrospectively designate responsible persons (such as licenced merchants) as prescribers.
This means that, under the current draft legislation, only vets will be able to give a prescription for the medicinal products that will require prescriptions under the new law.
One of the aims of this new regulation is to combat antimicrobial resistance and resistance to anti-parasitics.
ICOS
ICOS has called on Minister McConalogue to use his discretion to ensure that the bill would not inhibit competition in the market.
ICOS livestock and environmental policy director, Ray Doyle, said that the advice of the Attorney General should not be used “as a way of setting matters in stone”.
“There is still leeway for the minister to revise aspects of the bill in a way that would satisfy all legislative requirements while ensuring that fair market competitive conditions are upheld.
“We welcome the minister’s recent comments that he is keen to ensure no dilution of competition but we must now see this commitment realised in terms of how the bill is revised.
“We have stated to the minister on multiple occasions since 2019 that the new veterinary medicines regulations will create a dramatic shift in the veterinary medicines supply chain, in favour of private veterinary practitioners to the detriment of co-operatives and independent licenced merchants,” he said.
“The minister says non-vets can’t prescribe veterinary medicines, ruling out designated responsible persons in co-ops and licensed merchants from the supply chain.
“As matters currently stand, this means that all co-operative branches will be negatively impacted by the bill, as farmers will need to have prescriptions in place for all anti-parasitic products – before they could purchase from their co-op branch.
“This clearly disadvantages co-operatives and independent merchants where, for example, a vet writing a prescription has the obvious first opportunity to fill and dispense the product, before a co-operative has an opportunity to dispense it,” Doyle said.
ICOS has requested an immediate meeting with Minister McConalogue to seek amendments to the legislation.
The group has suggested possible solutions to the minister included that veterinary surgeons should be exempted from having to call to farms directly if they are prescribing anti-parasitic medicines.
Doyle added that “nobody is suggesting that anti-microbials should be prescribed remotely”.
Minister McConalogue is aiming to have the bill passed through the Dáil and Seanad in January.
“If he [Minister Charlie McConlogue] continues to push through the legislation without revision, farmers will be faced with decreased availability of anti-parasitic products and generally increased costs.
“There will be serious economic effects for rural Ireland from Carndonagh to Cahirciveen,” Doyle said.