FAQs

Out-of-date stock

Destruction - The legal requirements to witness the destruction of Schedule 2 CDs apply to stock. This refers to CDs that have not been issued or dispensed to a patient.

However, any leftover medicines, for example liquids, which are still required for use, are considered as stock. A witness is required if these are to be destroyed on expiry or for other reasons.

The following are examples of out-of-date stock:

• The remains of bottles of Ketamine, Methadone, or Fentanyl 28 days after broaching.
• Any other Schedule 2 CDs that have passed their expiry date.

There are commercially available denaturing kits, and these can be used to destroy out-of-date stock CDs and returned CDs. Veterinary surgeons should follow the instructions for use and disposal specific to the kit, as these may differ depending on the kit used.

Recording - The VMD advise that a record must be made of the date of destruction and the quantity destroyed, which the witness must sign. The witness, if an independent veterinary surgeon, should record their RCVS number and confirm their independence in writing in the CD register. The VMD also say that the following information should be recorded: name of the CD, form, strength and quantity, and the signature of the professional destroying the drug.

Expired stock should not be marked out of the running balance in the CDR until it is destroyed.

Returned drugs

Destruction – Any CDs returned to the practice by clients should not be re-used and should be destroyed as soon as possible. The VMD advises that the CD must be clearly labelled as a return and stored in the CD cabinet – but separated from practice stock CDs to avoid potential dispensing errors or re-use.

Recording - The VMD advise that the requirements to witness and record the destruction of CDs do not apply to returned CDs. However, they advise that it would be good practice for veterinary surgeons should consider making a record of any CD that is returned and having the destruction witness by another member of staff and signed against. This can be recorded in a separate book or sheets designed for that purpose.

Where an animal has died part way through treatment, the VMD recommends that the prescribing veterinary surgeon should consider making every effort to recover and destroy any remaining product.

Residual or waste drugs

Destruction - There is no legal requirement to have the disposal of waste product witnessed. Residual CDs are not usually denatured using kits because, as their destruction is required daily, this would prove too costly. Instead, residual drugs can be rendered irretrievable by collection into cat litter. Periodically, this cat litter is then sent as pharmaceutical waste through the waste contractor.

Recording - Any medicine left over in an ampoule, vial, or injected into fluids to make a constant rate infusion, which is considered unusable, is considered waste product (as opposed to practice stock). Both the amount administered, and the amount denatured should be recorded on the same line of the CDR to ensure that the running balance tallies – e.g. if 10mg morphine is dispensed to a patient but only 5mg is administered the record should show that 5mg was given and 5mg was wasted. Doing so ensures that the whole vial or ampoule is accounted for in the CDR. It is good practice for the entry in the CDR to be double signed.

Having prescribed POM-V medicines, if the veterinary surgeon is not present when there is a request for the medicine to be repeated, the veterinary surgeon must:

• Authorise each transaction individually before the medicine is supplied; and 
• Be satisfied that the person handing it over is competent to do so.

A veterinary surgeon could meet the requirement to authorise each transaction by:

• Handing over a medicine personally following a consultation, or instructing a fellow team member to dispense/supply the medicine;
• Making a note on a client’s record that repeat prescriptions could be supplied to the client;
• A team member taking a call from a client and putting a medicine aside for the veterinary surgeon to authorise before being supplied;
• In the case of a client unexpectedly coming into the practice, by a phone call to the veterinary surgeon, to authorise the supply.

Whichever method is used there must be an audit trail to show that the medicines has been prescribed by a veterinary surgeon.

Note:  A Suitably Qualified Person (SQP) in Great Britain, i.e., England, Scotland, and Wales under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 (as amended), is under similar requirements for the prescription and supply of POM-VPS medicines. These requirements are also a PSS Core Standard requirement for veterinary nurses who are also SQPs in Northern Ireland.

As per the RCVS Controlled Drugs Guidance, discrepancies between the amounts recorded as used, the volume of the product left in the vial, and the total stated volume must be avoided.  The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (‘VMD’) advise that pharmaceutical companies try to ensure that every bottle of medicine is precisely filled but some small variability may occur.  This may result in discrepancies regarding the amount of Controlled Drugs used when taking into consideration the volume remaining in the container.  There may also be some wastage within the needle and hub of the syringe each time the product is withdrawn, known as ‘deadspace’.  The Home Office has advised the VMD that discrepancies of up to 10% should not cause undue concern.  Reconciliation at the end of each bottle is recommended to avoid consolidation of errors.  Obviously, a balance of LESS than expected should be treated with greater concern.  While efforts should always be made to minimise wastage, the Home Office, the VMD, and RCVS Practice Standards Inspectors are all aware that some wastage due to deadspace will be unavoidable and these small discrepancies should always be recorded.

A Standard Operating Procedure (‘SOP’) should be in place, detailing what to do in the event of a discrepancy. The BSAVA state that one way of accounting for deadspace volume is to add this to each dose dispensed, but the volume is likely to vary, depending on the manufacturer of the needle and syringe, and the size of the syringe used - typically this is 0.05mls.

In reconciling, the RCVS recommends estimating by eye, making a scale on an empty bottle (for example), and then measuring a full bottle against it, or for more accuracy, weighing the bottles and recording weights.  Physically withdrawing remaining volume from a multi-dose bottle to allow for it to be accurately measured via needle/syringe, before returning the drug to the bottle, is not recommended, due to a health & safety risk of repeatedly drawing out volumes of controlled drugs, increasing the risk of them blowing back into someone’s face, and of course, increased wastage.

POM-Vs

Prescription validity refers to the time in which the medicine must be dispensed, otherwise the prescription will no longer be valid.

A written prescription for a POM-V that is not a controlled drug is valid for 6 months (unless a shorter period is stated). If the first dispense takes place during the written prescription validity period, the remaining repeats on the prescription may be dispensed beyond the validity period. This is also reflected in VMD Guidance.

Controlled drugs

A written prescription for a schedule 2 or 3 controlled drug has a validity of 28 days (unless a shorter period is stated) and is not repeatable.

Where more than 30 days’ worth of CDs are prescribed and the client requests a prescription to be fulfilled elsewhere, unless there are exceptional circumstances that mean this is not appropriate, you should issue the client with an instalment prescription (to reduce the risk of misuse) to be dispensed by a supplier of their choice.

If the first instalment is dispensed during the written prescription validity period, the remaining instalments on the prescription may be dispensed beyond the validity period.

You should bear in mind that instalment prescriptions are not commonly used in this way in human medicine and, as such, pharmacists used to dealing with prescriptions from doctors may approach these with caution.

Please remember that instalment prescriptions are instructions to supply and must be followed to the letter. You should therefore ensure the client is fully aware of what you have stated. If you have said that a specific amount must be supplied on a specific date, then that’s what the dispenser must follow. When an instalment prescription is used, the client isn’t able to get it filled a day earlier or later for convenience (to reduce the risk of misuse), so you should consider this lack of flexibility before issuing one.

In line with RCVS guidance, veterinary surgeons may make reasonable charges for written prescriptions but must not discriminate between those who are supplied with a prescription and those who are not, in relation to fees charged for other goods or services.

The maximum enrolment period is up to 10 years, subject to payment of an annual renewal fee. This time limit begins from the date that you passed your first module. You may take your synoptic exam outside this time limit.

Modules taken at the beginning of the programme will have to be taken again if the 10 year time limit is exceeded. To gain a Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice, you will need to achieve 60 credits in the appropriate modular combination within a 10-year time period.

If you wish to take more than one designation you do not need to repeat applicable modules already achieved unless they fall outside the 10 year time limit.

You need to obtain 60 credits to obtain a CertAVP qualification. This will be made up of the A-Foundations of Advanced Veterinary Practice module (10 credits), at least one B-module (10 credits) and either four C-modules or a combination of B and C modules to a total of 40 credits.

There is nothing to prevent more than one medication (or animal) being included on a written prescription. However, where multiple medicines and animals are noted on one prescription it must be explicit which medicine is for which animal. Veterinary surgeons are free to exercise professional judgement in this regard.

Costs and fees will be available on the providers’ websites. Please be aware there are also fees payable to the RCVS, which you can view on the Fees page.

Funding support may be available to you, depending on how much funding you have already accessed during your training. You can access further information on government funding.

Initial exam entry fee, includes one attempt at the full written exams, held in March 2025 - Examination fee of £1,100 plus a £300 administration charge (Total £1400)
May re-sit written examinations fee (clinical domains), only available for candidates if they have taken and failed any clinical domain written exam paper held in March of that year - Examination fee of £450 plus a £50 administration charge (total £500) per clinical exam domain re-sit
May re-sit written examination fee (Code of Professional Conduct exam), only available for candidates if they have taken and failed the Code of Professional Conduct Exam held in March of that year - One free re-sit attempt
OSCE exam fee, only available for candidates to book once they have passed all components of the written exams in the same year/exam diet - Examination fee of £1,100.

To enrol with the RCVS, you will pay an initial fee, which is renewable each year (if paid by Direct Debit). Please check our Fees page for the most up to date fees. Enrolment fees at universities will vary - please contact the university offering your module(s) for advice.