On 1st September 2023 our regulatory body, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) introduced new guidance on prescribing prescription-only medicines. There was a grace period until 1st January 2024 for some classes of medication including parasiticides (flea, tick and worming treatments). The new guidance requires that a clinical assessment, which usually entails a physical examination of your pet, be performed every time antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals and parasiticides are prescribed.
The guidance is an important step towards ensuring responsible antimicrobial use and reduces the veterinary impact on the wider issues of global antibiotic resistance and decline in insect populations.
Your pet will need to have seen a Veterinary Surgeon for an in-person consultation to make an appropriate parasiticide treatment plan personalised to their lifestyle and risk. We will aim to do this at regular, routine vaccination and health check appointments to reduce the need for additional appointments. However, a separate 'parasiticide check up' consultation may be required.
We will enter a prescription 'authorisation' of our recommendations onto your pet's clinical notes, which can then be used to issue medication for the following 12-months. Once this authorisation is in place you can order parasiticide treatment as you previously have done so.
We are offering a reduced consultation fee of £47.00 for a 'parasiticide check up' consultation. This is free for members of our Pet Health for Life (PH4L) plan.
For long term prescription medication which is not an antimicrobial/antiparasitic, our usual policy of requiring a regular examination usually every 3-6 months continues to apply. The medication review consultations will be charged at our usual fees.
You can read the full guidance from the RCVS on their website
Here at Park Veterinary Group, we are committed to providing the best quality healthcare for your pet.
Please be aware that we may have limited appointment availability for some of our services. We would ask that you give as much notice as possible when booking appointments for upcoming needs.
We remain committed to the health andwellbeing of your pet, and will of course be here for you if you have an emergency,
Thank you for your understanding.
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If you are not registered to our Pet Health for Life preventative healthcare plan, do check our website to find out how you can save money and relax, knowing your pet’s treatments are kept up to date.
For more information about our clinics, please visit our website here.
We look forward to seeing you soon. Please contact us for further information.