BVA calls for new measures to secure future medicines in Northern Ireland

Time has already run out to secure a veterinary agreement between the UK and EU before temporary medicine supply rules expire, the BVA has warned.

The group’s new policy paper argued other short-term measures are likely to be needed in Northern Ireland once current arrangements run out at the end of this year.

UK Government officials have insisted they are engaging with Brussels on the issue, while plans to ensure continuing supplies will be set out “in due course”.

Less optimistic

However, although it believes a wider agreement would still have other benefits, the BVA is less optimistic about the long-standing supply problem.

Its paper said: “A veterinary agreement could have been the solution to the issue of accessing veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland beyond December 2025.

“However, negotiating a veterinary agreement will take longer than the time available before the end of the grace period and, therefore, a solution to Northern Ireland veterinary medicines must be sought in the meantime.”

Estimates for the proportion of products at risk of being withdrawn from the Northern Ireland market have varied significantly, although the Government said it has been encouraged by recent industry developments.

Jeopardy warning

But while it suggested in January that between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of products were now at risk, compared to a peak of around 50 per cent, industry association NOAH warned that progress could still be jeopardised.

The BVA said it is particularly worried that some vaccines for production animals – such as the botulism vaccine for cattle made in either South Africa or Australia – could be among the items that cannot be used without a new deal.

Its paper makes eight recommendations for action, including publishing a full list of affected products, exempting products that complied with EU rules pre-Brexit and increasing efforts to highlight the one health implications of failing to reach an agreement.

It further called for Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to develop an equivalent to England’s Animal Health and Welfare Pathway to help reduce medicine reliance and be granted the powers to manage special imports from Great Britain.

Trade barriers

However, the BVA also wants negotiations with the EU to be prioritised, arguing a wider agreement could help to ease trade barriers and ensure “efficient use of the veterinary workforce”.

In one example, it suggested moves to replicate the existing pet passports that are required to enable animals to travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland would ease the burden on both clinicians and their clients.

The paper said: “This document is free of charge and lasts for a lifetime, so it would considerably reduce the time veterinary practices currently spend on issuing animal health certificates and the cost for pet owners.”

A Government spokesperson said: “We are committed to maintaining the availability of veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland beyond December 2025, the end of the grace period.

“We are working closely with industry to make the necessary adjustments and will continue to engage with the EU on this issue.”