Imminent changes to the sale and supply of vaccines will make it more challenging for vets to provide out-of-hours services into the future, Offaly-based vet Donal Lynch has said.

Veterinary Ireland held an emergency meeting on Monday, to discuss new regulations which would see vaccines that were once only available via vets or pharmacists, now being available at merchant level.

“What’s already challenging to provide – 24/7 emergency care – is going to be made even more challenging to provide. When someone comes in and buys vaccines from me, I make very little out of it. But when you add it all up, it comes to something and I use that then to subsidise the vet work that’s done,” Lynch said.

Merchant view

However, merchants are of the view that farmers will benefit from the new regulations.

Ollie Ryan from Midland Veterinary farm supplies said that competition in the market place is “essential” to keep the cost of medicine down for farmers.

“This is about a hundred thousand farmers saving money not 600 vets making money. It’s also a huge opportunity for both vet and merchant to work closer together, veterinary oversights will be needed.

“It’ll be a huge cost burden on merchants to employ vets to write prescriptions for anti-parasitics and vaccines.

“If it’s done right, it could be a great example of how vets and merchants work together to ensure prudent prescribing of animal health medicines and provide wider availability for farmers,” he said.

In a statement to the Irish Farmers Journal, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said his Department will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders on the introduction of regulations to be made under the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feeds and Fertiliser Regulations Act 2023.