There is increasing concern amongst licensed merchants about new EU legislation around the selling of veterinary medicines. The changes are due to be reviewed by the Department of Agriculture in January 2022.

At the moment a licensed merchant can sell a full range of licensed medicines such as dosing products, vaccines and other animal health products. Under the new legislation, veterinary practitioners will have to issue a prescription for these licensed medicines. Some fear this will mean farmers will only be able to these products from vets and eliminate competition from the sector.

The Independent Licensed Merchants Association (ILMA) claims its members are currently responsible for approximately 75% of licensed animal medicine sales. The ILMA also claims that in other countries where all animal medicines are available on prescription only, prices have gone up by 40-50% since the legislation came in.

If we lose the ability to sell these products, jobs will go and it will be lights out

Ollie Ryan, owner of Midland Vet Ltd in Tullamore, Co Offaly, told the Irish Farmers Journal: “I’m really worried about what’s coming down the road for animal medicines. There are over 1,000 licensed merchants operating in southern Ireland keeping thousands of jobs going.

“If we lose the ability to sell these products, jobs will go and it will be lights out for a lot of merchants. As a company we have invested heavily in training staff in accordance with the current legislation as directed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

“All licensed merchants staff are trained to give advice and sell products in a responsible way to farmers. Nobody is pushing products here. It’s about responsible use and we feel we are in a good place to educate farmers in the use of these products.

“Vets are already working very closely with some animal health companies and to shut us out isn’t good for anybody. Taking competition out of any industry isn’t good for farmers. You see what has happening in the beef industry. When it’s operated by a few people at the top, the power shifts from the farmer and I would hate to see that happen.”

I’m a part-time farmer and we do most of the cattle work on a Saturday at home

When the Irish Farmers Journal visited Midland Vet last week, we spoke to farmers about the proposed changes and there was a genuine concern about the access farmers will have to animal medicines.

Offaly farmer TJ Meagher said: “I’m a part-time farmer and we do most of the cattle work on a Saturday at home. What happens when I want to buy dosing for the weanlings and I can’t get a vet to write me a prescription on a Saturday afternoon? If the proposals go through and there’s less competition in the market, it’s the farmer that will lose out. It’s always the same.”

In short

  • Proposed changes to animal health rules could mean licensed merchants will be no longer able to sell animal medicines such as dosing products and vaccines without a veterinary prescription.
  • If the legislation is enacted, farmers will have to get a prescription to purchase many items which are currently available to purchase over the counter in licensed merchants.
  • There are over 1,000 licensed merchants in Ireland, employing an estimated 10,000 people.
  • Merchants, co-ops and pharmacies are expressing concern that vets will have a monopoly on selling licensed animal medicines if the proposed legislation is enacted.