Q: I recently heard that there are changes coming in December for access to certain medications that I use for my livestock. Can you explain how this will impact me, my livestock and my pets?
A: This is a hot topic question and a good one! I’d like to start by stating that from the perspective of our clinic, this is not a change. We feel very strongly that having good relationships with our clients is the foundation to providing top quality medical care for our patients, small and large.
Effective December 1, 2018 Health Canada is instituting a change that will require all medically important antimicrobials (antibiotics) to have a valid prescription from a registered veterinarian. However, veterinarians are bound by their own guidelines that state that prescriptions can only be written for patients where a valid Veterinary Client Patient Relationship (VCPR) exists. This is where we, at the Animal Care Centre of Strathmore (ACC), are proud to have strong relationships with our clients. This VCPR is important to us and can be defined as a working relationship between the client and veterinarian where there have been documented appointments where animals have been examined on farm or in the clinic. This enables the veterinarian the ability to provide preventative medicine, early detection of disease, accurate diagnosis, establish animal health protocols and in turn the ability to dispense medications when needed. The long-term health and well-being of the animals is of the utmost importance and working together with your veterinarian will enable you the ability to access medications when your animals need them.
We don’t see this as a change for our clients since we have always maintained VCPR’s for dispensing medications. We encourage you to meet with your veterinarian and establish a VCPR before December 1st to ensure that the needs of your livestock are met. If you are interested in setting up a farm or in clinic visit to ensure that we can continue to dispense medications call us at (403) 901-1800 to make your appointment.
