PRESCRIPTIONS UPDATE
On 1st September 2023 our regulatory body, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) introduced new guidance on prescribing prescription-only medicines. There was a grace period until 1st January 2024 for some classes of medication including parasiticides (flea, tick and worming treatments). The new guidance requires that a clinical assessment, which usually entails a physical examination of your pet, be performed every time antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals and parasiticides are prescribed.
The guidance is an important step towards ensuring responsible antimicrobial use and reduces the veterinary impact on the wider issues of global antibiotic resistance and decline in insect populations.
Your pet will need to have seen a Veterinary Surgeon for an in-person consultation to make an appropriate parasiticide treatment plan personalised to their lifestyle and risk. We will aim to do this at regular, routine vaccination and health check appointments to reduce the need for additional appointments. However, a separate ‘parasiticide check up’ consultation may be required.
We will enter a prescription ‘authorisation’ of our recommendations onto your pet’s clinical notes, which can then be used to issue medication for the following 12-months. Once this authorisation is in place you can order parasiticide treatment as you previously have done so.
A ‘parasiticide check up’ consultation is free for members of our Pet Health for Life (PH4L) plan.
For long term prescription medication which is not an antimicrobial/antiparasitic, our usual policy of requiring a regular examination usually every 3-6 months continues to apply. The medication review consultations will be charged at our usual fees.
You can read the full guidance from the RCVS on their website.
Important information about registering your pet with us:
Due to the high demand for our services coupled with staff shortages, we can only accept new animal registrations for our existing clients.
Please enter your details below if you need to register a new puppy or kitten. This also applies if you have made your first online booking for a new pet.
Our customer care team is receiving a high volume of new registrations. We aim to get back to you within 5 working days.
For brand new clients wishing to register at Cherrydown Vets, please note that we will keep your details on file and contact you when we have availability.
We thank you for your patience and kind understanding.
Should you require urgent care, please call us immediately on 01268 533636 so we can assist you.
If you are not registered to our Pet Health for Life preventative healthcare plan, do check our website to find out how you can save money and relax, knowing your pet’s treatments are kept up to date.
For more information about our clinics, please visit our website here.
We look forward to seeing you soon. Please contact us for further information.
