National Veterinary Prescription System

What Is It?

The National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS) is a secure electronic prescription system developed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in order to meet certain requirements within the new EU Veterinary Medicines Regulation 2019/6. The NVPS will also facilitate the prescribing of Medicated Feed as per EU Regulation 2019/4. The focus of these new regulations is to protect human health and address the challenge presented by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The challenge of AMR has been the key driver for the much of the content of these new regulations.

Why Do We Need It?

• To provide the animal keeper/farming community with a much greater choice on where they may obtain their veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) – this will allow for non-dispensed digital scripts to be made available for dispensing from all outlets across the country
• To potentially reduce the administrative burdens for those prescribing, dispensing, and purchasing VMPs
• To potentially simplify record keeping for those purchasing VMPs
• To provide greater regulatory oversight on those parties involved in the general prescribing/dispensing/use of VMPs. Greater oversight will ultimately protect those parties who are meeting their regulatory functions.
• To provide a deeper understanding of the current processes being used to prescribe, dispense and treat food producing animals - including all horses, whether intended or not for human consumption and the VMPs being used - to allow for better evidence informed policy development to assist Ireland address both the growing antimicrobial and antiparasitic resistance issues. Other national policy development will also be greatly enhanced with the available data
• To tighten the controls Ireland has with our entire food production process from a farming perspective. Potential international trade partners will fully welcome the additional oversight capabilities available to Irish authorities which will provide enhanced confidence in Irish exported live animals, including equines, and agri-food products”
• To meet Ireland’s EU commitment in submitting annual veterinary medicinal usage for information purposes in the global battle against antimicrobial resistance.

The development and introduction of the NVPS supports Ireland’s ambition to continue improving customer online digital services in line with the Government’s National Digital Strategy and will provide greater assurance to our national and international trading partners and customers through greater regulatory oversight of Ireland’s agri-food production sector.

What Will The NVPS Do?

The NVPS will allow for the digital generation of a prescription and for the availability, online, of non-dispensed prescriptions to all licensed outlets. It will collect prescription-level usage-data electronically. As a result there will be real time recording and reporting of all prescription based medicines being prescribed and dispensed, to the mandated animal species, in Ireland.

How Will I Access It?

For veterinary practitioners and dispensers currently using paper based systems, the NVPS can be used as a stand alone, free to access and use, app. This will be accessible via a smart-phone, tablet or desktop device. The NVPS will also integrate with existing software systems within the veterinary medicinal product (VMP) supply chain; such as those in veterinary practices, licensed merchants and pharmacist organisations. Animal keepers will receive notification of their prescriptions electronically, either by SMS or by email.

How Will I Fill An Electronic Prescription?

The prescribing veterinary practitioner can dispense the prescription to the animal keeper at the time of creating it, or it will be uploaded to a central database for dispensing elsewhere. Prescription details will be emailed or sent via SMS text message to the relevant animal keeper. The keeper can then present the prescription details to a dispenser. Each prescription will have a unique number; and each VMP, if more than one on a script, will have what is called a line item code beside it. The keeper can present the master code, enabling the dispenser to see the full prescription, or the line item code only in which case only that line item (VMP) will be available to the dispenser to view.

Are there any other changes I should know about?

Veterinary prescriptions for antimicrobials will be valid for 5 days from the date of issue. Veterinary prescriptions will be required for medicated feed and for anti-parasitics.

In order to access the NVPS users must first be registered as a customer with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Veterinary Practitioners preparing to use the system will need to be initially registered with the Department for Online Services before being granted access to the NVPS. The company registration form (CCM/NVPS) is for your Company/Practice while the second form (NVPS/SSO1) if required, is to be completed for all Practice staff who it is intended will be using the NVPS system. Once you complete the forms please return by post to NVPS Section, Veterinary Medicines, Dept of Agriculture, Admin Building, Backweston Campus, Celbridge, Co Kildare, W23X3PH. Once registered for Department services, each user will receive two letters which will contain their username and log in details for the NVPS.

Pharmacists and dispensing organisations such as Licenced Merchants, Co-Ops and Feed Mills etc will need to initially register with the Department for Online Services before being granted access to the NVPS to enable you view prescriptions that are centrally available for dispensing on the system. The company registration form (CCM/NVPS) is for your organisation while the second form (SSO1) if required, is to be completed for all staff who it is intended will be using the NVPS system. Once you complete the forms please return by post to NVPS Section, Veterinary Medicines, Dept of Agriculture,

Admin Building, Backweston Campus, Celbridge, Co Kildare, W23X3PH. Once registered for Department services, each user will receive two letters by post which will contain their username and log in details for the NVPS.

Registration Forms

User Guide Manual

Press Release: Minister announces extension of transition period for the requirement of a veterinary prescription

Press Release: Minister McConalogue confirms approach to new veterinary medicines regulations

Go Live

NVPS Phased Implementation – 31 January 2022

• NVPS Updates – November 2021
• NVPS Updates – September 2021

• Vet Med Prescription Details Requirement Information
• Med Feed Prescription Details Requirement Information

Technical Data Sheets

Those currently using paper scripts and intending on using same for the NVPS phasing in period may need to order new formatted paper script books to accommodate the entry of the additional information required under the upcoming Regulations. Please view the documents below for more information on what data will be required in all PAPER veterinary/ veterinary medicated feed prescriptions from 28 January 2022.

New Legislation for Veterinary Medicines, European Medicines Agency (europa.eu)

Veterinary Medicines Regulation, European Medicines Agency (europa.eu)

Regulation (EU) 2019/6 of the European Parliament and of the Council)

Regulation (EU) 2019/4 of the European Parliament and of the Council

• Webinar Series for EU Regulations on Veterinary Medicinal Products, 2019/6, and the manufacture, placing on the market and use of Medicated Feed, 2019/4.
• VCI guidance on animals under veterinary care