RCVS publishes FAQs to assist professions on common medicines pitfalls

The RCVS has published a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help guide members of the professions through some of the most commonly encountered pitfalls regarding veterinary medicines.

The FAQs feature questions and answers covering all aspects of the College’s guidance on veterinary medicines. This includes questions around controlled drugs, including their storage, destruction and prescription, supplying medicines under the cascade, and prescriptions in general including topics such as what written information to provide, broach dates, and repeat prescriptions.

Lisa Price, our Head of Standards, said: “Queries about veterinary medicines are some of the most frequent questions that our Standards & Advice Team deal with and we recognise that this is quite a complex and potentially confusing area of practice, with information being contained in a variety of places including the RCVS Codes of Professional Conduct, the Veterinary Medicines Regulations and the Practice Standards Guidance.

“We felt it would be helpful to try and draw much of this information into one place and provide answers to questions applicable to common scenarios that veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses encounter within everyday practice.

“The 17 questions and answers have all been approved by the RCVS Standards Committee and we hope members of the professions find them useful. We are also open to feedback and suggestions for further questions to be added to the FAQs and you can contact us on [email protected] if you have any.”

The full FAQs are available on the website. The RCVS Code of Professional Conduct’s chapter of supporting guidance on veterinary medicines is also available.