Just finished at the extremely useful BVA medicines-group meeting at the BVA headquarters in London.  The link here outlines the group's terms-of-reference and membership.  Medicines control, dispensing and prescribing are topics which are going to become more and more important to the profession as a whole and it's vital that the BVA takes a central role in discussions with the governments in the UK and the EU.  The meeting began with a discussion about the potential reclassification of monapantel, an ovine anthelmintic, which is currently POM-V.  Clearly, reclassifying this medicine to be more widely dispensed via merchants, would result in a more rapid development of resistance and BVA has written to the VMD to encourage them to maintain the status-quo.  A wider debate then occurred about the overuse of anthelmintics and resistance to these products; I made the point that this is not a problem restricted to farm-animals and that we would also support a tightening of the rules and that the vet is best placed person to prescribe wormers.

Antimicrobial resistance is a huge threat to our right to dispense these medications and the BVA is really keen to see our guidance on the responsible use of antimicrobials which, along with our medicines smart phone app, should be available to BEVA members shortly.  Lastly there was a debate about the cascade and it's effectiveness and protecting the position of vets in the UK. There will be a draft proposal on amending the cascade coming from the EU in the first quarter of 2013 and we will await this with interest.

Keith Chandler 18/09/12