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FAQs - Registration of Veterinary Practice Premises

To help you to understand the RCVS Register of Veterinary Practice Premises, we have produced a series of FAQs.

NB. The requirements of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations apply to all practice (stock) medicines.

Frequently Asked Questions

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About the Register of Veterinary Practice Premises

  • The Register enables an inspection regime to be implemented by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) to improve traceability of Controlled Drugs and to ensure veterinary surgeons are compliant with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations. According to the VMD, this answers criticism from EU auditors and brings veterinary surgeons in line with other retail suppliers of veterinary medicinal products, who are permitted to supply only from registered premises.

  • The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMR), including the registration and inspection of veterinary practice premises. All newly registered premises will be inspected within 6 months of registering. The frequency of further inspections is determined using a risk-based approach with the most compliant premises inspected every 4 years. However, less compliant premises may be inspected more frequently. The statutory fee for a VMD inspection of a vet practice premises is £350. If a practice is in the Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) then a Practice Standards Inspector will be responsible for ensuring that the practice is compliant with the VMR during the PSS inspection.

  • In accordance with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, veterinary surgeons may only supply veterinary medicinal products (excluding AVM-GSL products) from veterinary practice premises on the Register of Veterinary Practice Premises (RVPP).

  • The legal requirement for the registration of veterinary practice premises is in the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMR).

    The professional requirement for recording where all medicines are stored or kept (and keeping that record at the practice’s main veterinary practice premises in an accessible form) is in Chapter 4 of the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct: Veterinary medicines. The professional requirement avoids the need for wider ranging registration of premises and cars from which medicines may be supplied; only veterinary practice premises from which medicines are supplied must be registered with the RCVS.

  • Find a Vet is one of the leading online veterinary practice databases with around 15,000 searches for practices made every month. If your premises is open to the public, a basic Find A Vet listing will be created for you when you register (unless you choose otherwise). Find A Vet is not an exhaustive list of all premises on the Register of Veterinary Practice Premises (RVPP).

    To update your details on Find a Vet, please email [email protected].

How the PSS relates to the Register of Veterinary Practice Premises

Who needs to register practice premises and how

  • To register a new premises, please complete the Register of Veterinary Practice Premises Form (see the 'Related documents' box below). You will also need to pay a £34 registration fee.

    Payment can be made online via the RCVS website. After your completed form is received, you will receive a pre-registration email with log in credentials to set up an account to pay online.

    Please submit your completed form by email to: [email protected]

     

  • The annual statutory registration fee is £34 for each veterinary practice premises and VAT is not payable. For example, if a practice has one main practice premises and two branch premises, each premises must be registered each year (3 x £34 = £102). 

    For veterinary practice premises accredited under the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, the annual statutory registration fee is taken from the annual fees paid to the Scheme. An annual statutory registration fee will be payable for any premises that are not PSS-accredited.

    Payment can be made via 'MyAccount' using the log in credentials for the practice premises.

  • Anybody involved with the practice may register it as a veterinary practice premises with the RCVS, but it would be helpful if within the practice there is agreement about who is to be the point of contact.

  • If you practise from your home and supply medicines from there, your home must be registered with the RCVS as a veterinary practice premises. Even if you store only small quantities of medicines at your home, you will need to register your home as a veterinary practice premises if you supply those medicines to others (supply includes administering medicines to other people’s animals).

    However, if you keep a small quantity of medicines at your home, for example, for on-call purposes, and that store of medicines is recorded at a registered veterinary practice premises, the home premises need not be registered.

  • No, vehicles are not premises, but you must maintain a record of vehicles in which medicines are stored or kept (the record should be held at the main veterinary practice premises in accessible form).

  • Premises likely to be considered as ‘veterinary practice premises’ by the RCVS and the VMD are those

    • from which the veterinary surgeons of a practice provide veterinary services; and/or, 
    • advertised or promoted as premises of a veterinary practice; and/or, 
    • open to members of the public to bring animals for veterinary treatment and care; and/or, 
    • not open to the public, but which are the base from which a veterinary surgeon practises or provides veterinary services to more than one client; and/or, 
    • to which medicines are delivered wholesale, on the authority of one or more veterinary surgeons in practice.

    This is not an exhaustive list of premises that may be considered as veterinary practice premises.

  • Yes; all practice premises from which medicines are supplied must be registered with the RCVS.

  • The charity/business premises may be veterinary practice premises, if, for example:

    1. the premises are open to members of the public to bring animals for veterinary treatment and care (i.e. the animals are not owned by the charity/business)
    2. the premises are used as a base to provide veterinary services to other clients
    3. drugs are delivered and/or supplied from the premises and stored there overnight.
  • Yes; the charity/business premises are likely to be considered veterinary practice premises for the purposes of supplies of those veterinary medicines to the charity/business, for animals owned by the charity. (You or the charity may register the premises with the RCVS).

    NB. The Veterinary Medicines Regulations provide that a veterinary surgeon may supply veterinary medicines (for example, POM-Vs after the clinical assessment of an animal under his or her care) ‘irrespective of who owns [those medicines].’ (Schedule 3 paragraph (6) (b))

    If you authorise supplies of medicines to the charity/business, you are responsible for the medicines, for example, correct storage and annual audit; responsibility may be shared with the charity/business.

  • A mobile unit (which includes an ambulatory unit) cannot be registered by itself as a Veterinary Practice Premises (VPP), but must be linked to a registered ‘bricks and mortar’ premises where the unit is normally stored (even if no veterinary services or VMP supply takes place from the premises itself).

    A stall at an exhibition or show which is for the promotion of a registered VPP and/or veterinary services, does not need to be registered as a VPP in its own right, and small quantities of VMPs can be supplied, provided the stall is an extension of the registered VPP. This applies as long as an MRCVS is present to supply the VMPs. If there is no MRCVS present then an SQP is required and the location will need to be registered as a VPP.

    If the stall is operating solely to retail supply VMPs, then it needs to be registered as a standalone VPP. However, a tent or marquee cannot be registered as a standalone VPP as neither is considered to be permanent premises.

    In the case of a mobile unit, (which would include a tent or marquee), like the vet’s car, the unit must be related to the promotion of a Registered VPP and/or a vet treating animals, and cannot be used solely as a mobile shop to retail supply VMPs. 

  • No; if you take smaller quantities of (stock) medicines to the charity/business premises, the premises are unlikely to be considered veterinary practice premises (unless 17a or b is applicable), but you will need to keep a record of the premises (see Chapter 4 of the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct: Veterinary medicines and FAQs, 'Our practice is changing ownership, do we need to re-register the premises?' and 'What is the record requirement' below).

  • If you are unsure whether premises must be registered, please contact the Registration Department on [email protected] or 020 7202 0707 for further guidance. We may liaise with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate before providing further guidance.

Existing practice premises registrations

  • Yes, if you move your practice to new premises, you need to submit a registration application for the new premises and pay the £35 fee. It is not possible to transfer registration between premises. The new premises must be registered before any storage or supply of veterinary medicines takes place.

    If you are in the Practice Standards Scheme, your accreditation will not be transferred to the new premises. Your new premises will need to make an application to join the Scheme.

    You will also need to close the premises you are moving from, please complete the Register of Veterinary Practice Premises Removal Form (see the 'Related documents' box below).

    If you have a Direct Debit set up to pay your annual veterinary practice premises fee please ensure you cancel this with your bank and set up a new one using your new registration number. 

  • If nothing except the owner, or the practice name, is changing and the staff and the operational running of the practice is remaining the same then you do not need to re-register. You only need to advise us of the new ownership/practice details. The registration for the premises will continue and you will be sent a reminder for the next year’s fee to that address.

    You will require a new registration if the staff, management and/or the operational running of the business is changing. 

  • Yes. There is an annual fee for the registration of veterinary practice premises. £35 for each veterinary practice premises; VAT is not payable.

    The registration of veterinary practice premises is due on 1 April each year. An invoice is issued for payment (up to four weeks before the due date) to those practice premises which are on the Register. If a premises is part of a practice group, the invoice will be sent to the principal premises or Head Office.

    Any fees not received by 1 April, may result in the premises being removed from the Register of Veterinary Practice Premises and the supply of any medicines will need to cease immediately.

    The annual fee for premises accredited under the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) includes the annual registration fee for veterinary practice premises. Premises in the Practice Standards Scheme have inspections undertaken by RCVS Assessors, not by the VMD.

  • You are accountable for your practice (stock) medicines stored at other premises, including, for example, stores at the homes of employees and at charity/business clients; as you are for medicines stored at your practice’s veterinary practice premises.

  • The record requirement is outlined in Chapter 4 of the supporting guidance to the Code of Professional Conduct: Veterinary medicines (paragraphs 4.27 - 4.29). It comprises a description of both the legal requirements for practice premises registration and the professional obligation for record-keeping.

  • If you have any questions about the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMR) please contact the Veterinary Medicines Directorate who will be able to assist you.