New VMD approach to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland from next year

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has announced that new rules governing the distribution of veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland will apply from 1 January 2026.

The new rules include the introduction of two routes for sourcing medicines in NI, the Veterinary Medicines Health Situation Scheme and the Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme, which the VMD says ‘will work alongside each other to ensure that Northern Ireland veterinary surgeons and the animals under their care can continue to access the medicines they need, while ensuring compliance with the Windsor Framework’. The VMD has also published specific guidance for Wholesalers/Retailers and Marketing Authorisation Holders.

The new schemes will, among other things, change the way the cascade operates in Northern Ireland in that medicines licensed in Great Britain (but not Northern Ireland) may only be prescribed if there is no suitable licensed EU medicine, human medicine or extemporaneous preparation.

The updated cascade steps are set out in the VMD’s guidance on use of the cascade, and RCVS guidance will be updated to reflect these changes in anticipation of the January implementation date. Changes to our guidance will be outlined in detail in the RCVS’ Autumn guidance update.

If you have any queries about these upcoming changes, please contact [email protected]