Farmers will soon be legally required to get a prescription from a vet in order to buy antiparasitic medicines such as wormers and flukicides following the signing of new regulations by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.

The Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulations 2024 was signed into law on Thursday 12 September aiming to address the challenge of antimicrobial and antiparasitic resistance.

The regulations provide for tighter controls around the prudent use of antiparasitic medications.

This includes the upregulation of all antiparasitics to prescription only medicine (POM) status.

With antiparasitics now available only on foot of a veterinary prescription issued by a veterinary practitioner, the central role of professional veterinary advice in determining the necessity and suitability of anti-parasitic products will be reinforced.

Prudent use

Minister McConalogue said that his focus has been on ensuring appropriate and prudent use of antimicrobial and antiparasitic veterinary medicines, but without undermining existing supply channels for farmers through retailers, including licensed merchants and co-operatives.

The introduction of a “proper assessment protocol” for the prescribing of anti-parasitic veterinary medicinal products will facilitate this.

He acknowledged that despite the significant process of consultation in recent years, stakeholders had a range of concerns and perspectives on the changes being brought forward.

Commenting on the regulations, the Minister said: “In finalising these regulations, I sought to strike a reasonable balance between the differing viewpoints of stakeholders, without compromising on the overall objective.

"There has been extensive engagement, which was important, but it is also important to bring clarity to matters that have been under consideration for some time.

"It is vital that appropriate veterinary expertise is brought to bear when it comes to prescribing medicines, but equally that farmers have access to these medicines from a variety of supply channels at reasonable cost. I am satisfied that these regulations achieve those objectives.”

'Ignored legitimate concerns'

The Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has said that the Minister has ignored the legitimate concerns of the co-operative farming sector in his decision to sign the statutory instrument which enact the regulations.

“We express our deep frustration and disappointment with the Minister. His decision will directly damage licensed merchants across Ireland, severely inhibiting their businesses, disadvantaging farmers and undermining a key pillar of rural commerce.

“The Minister's refusal to allow co-ops and licensed merchants to continue retailing prescription only medicines and non-prescription medicines including anti-parasitics will result in significant economic damage to our businesses,” they said.

The Minister’s approach, according to the ICOS, has favoured a regulatory structure that ensures over 70% of veterinary medicinal products remain directly controlled by veterinary channels, with this number now set to increase further under the new rules.