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AgVetLink March 2004 - Special Issue for Veterinarians: Page 9

Individual veterinary requirements more stringent than ACVM Group requirements

The ACVM Group has received a number of inquiries from the general public in regard to the new requirements for the management of prescription animal remedy veterinary medicines. The inquiries relate to statements made by veterinarians to their clients requiring documentation of the contractual agreement that establishes the veterinary client relationship sufficient to support the prescribing of prescription animal remedy veterinary medicines.

The inquirers reported that veterinarians were demanding written agreements to provide services or documented estimates of drug requirements for the year. Without this documentation the veterinarians were not prepared to prescribe drugs for them. The veterinarians stated or implied that the documentation was a requirement of the ACVM Group, and that they would be breaking the law if they did not secure the contractual documentation before prescribing or dispensing drugs to them.

It is true that the ACVM Group requires veterinarians to establish a veterinarian/ client relationship that confirms that the animals were under the care of the veterinarian at the time the products were prescribed. However, the nature of that relationship is not specified by the ACVM Group, nor does it require the relationship to be permanent or even semi-permanent. The ACVM Group requires the veterinarian to be satisfied that the relationship does exist and s(he) has gathered sufficient information to support the prescribing in any particular event.

It is the prerogative of the veterinarian to stipulate what evidence of the relationship is sufficient and what information is sufficient to support the prescribing. However, from the ACVM Group’s understanding of inquiries, some veterinarians seemed to be inappropriately using PAR regulatory controls to secure permanent and binding contracts to supply goods and services.

This documentation is not a requirement of the ACVM Group and any misrepresentation of the regulatory requirements that comes to the attention of the ACVM Group will be reported to the relevant authorities (Veterinary Council of New Zealand and/or the Commerce Commission).

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