The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) will provide farmers with a free parasite-control advisory service to prepare them for the introduction of new and more restrictive vet medicines regulations next year.
The DAFM has confirmed to Agriland that a large-scale targeted advisory service on animal health (TASAH) programme has gone to tender.
This will enable farmers to engage a vet to provide advice on parasite-control measures in their herd, at no cost to them.
This comes as the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue confirmed yesterday (Wednesday, November 24) that the deadline for the implementation of new European-wide veterinary medicines rules will be extended from January 28 to June 1, 2022.
As part of this, the mandatory requirement for vets to use a new electronic national veterinary prescribing system (NVPS) will also be delayed.
While the NVPS will be available for use from the originally planned date – January 28 – according to the minister, the subsequent four-month period will allow vets to “road test” the system.
In the interim period, vets will be able to continue to to issue paper prescriptions.
Prescription-only anti-parasitics also delayed
The mandatory requirement for anti-parasitic products to become prescription-only – one of the main changes under the new rules – will also be delayed until June 1, the DAFM has confirmed.
And, crucially, prescriptions for these anti-parasitics will now be valid for 12 months. And anti-parasitic animal remedies can be purchased throughout the period that the prescription is valid.
Once a farmer has a relationship with a vet, that vet can prescribe in line with Veterinary Council of Ireland guidance, and a farmer can have a relationship with more than one vet, the DAFM has said.
The minister said he made the amendments in order to assist farmers, vets, pharmacists and licensed merchants in transitioning to full compliance with the new regulations.
“I have consulted widely and listened to a range of voices on the topic, and I believe the steps I have outlined will ensure that the health of our livestock is enhanced, that farmers continue to have access to a range of sales points, thus helping competition, and merchants will continue to be a trusted source for animal health products.”
The minister announced these changes in advance of a meeting next week with farm organisations as well as veterinary, pharmacy and licensed merchant representatives.