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The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) introduced new regulations on 1st September 2023 that affect how Veterinary Surgeons can prescribe ‘prescription only medications (POM-Vs)’ which will affect how RVC Equine can prescribe medications to your horse.

The key changes that will affect horse owners are:

• All antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals and controlled drugs (which include clenbuterol (Ventipulmin®), codeine and gabapentin) require an in person physical exam by a veterinarian.
• This applies to all antibiotics, including oral, injectable, and topical (creams and eye ointments). Antibiotics cannot be given based on photographs or videos only - a physical examination of the animal is required legally.
• Other POM-V’s e.g. phenylbutazone (Equipalazone®) or pergolide (Prascend®) may be prescribed after your horse has had a physical examination or, in certain situations, a virtual consultation with a veterinarian.
• Horse wormers e.g. Equest pramox®, Panacur Equine Guard® and Noromectin are POM-VPS category medicines and dispensing legislation is unchanged.

If you use more than one veterinary practice for your horse, we are obliged to keep other veterinary practices updated of any information about the animal that may affect its treatment.

Therefore, if you are a client of RVC Equine and use other veterinary practices for your horse in addition to ourselves, we ask that you contact us to let us know and we will ask you to complete a Mutual Client Agreement form which gives us permission to share clinical records with those other practices.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call us or speak to one of our vets.