Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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710. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the recommendation from the Joint Oireachtas Committee of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in relation to examining extensively the separation of prescribing and dispensing of veterinary medicinal products was undertaken by his Department; and if he is in a position to share the findings of this exercise, given the success this model of animal care and the lower levels of resistance to medicines as a result. [10277/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The separation of prescribing and dispensing of veterinary medical products (VMPs) has been a point of discussion for the Joint Oireachtas Committee of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, my Department and the various farming, retail and veterinary professional representative and regulatory groups who attend the Antiparasitic Resistance Stakeholder Group which my Department initiated in June 2020.

This group was established to optimise animal health with regard to parasite control and to address antiparasitic resistance.

The Group is a multi-stakeholder forum which provides a mechanism to guide and co-ordinate actions to address antiparasitic resistance in the animal health sector and protect the efficacy of antiparasitics for the benefit of animal health and welfare.

This Group chaired by the Chief Veterinary Officer, has developed and agreed a plan currently containing 42 actions to address parasite control in a coordinated way at a national level.

In respect of decoupling antiparasitic VMPs only or a full VMP decoupling, legal advices were received by my Department. This advice, in relation to both forms of decoupling was that for such decoupling to be permissible, a sound evidential basis in veterinary medicine is required to justify any partial or full prohibition on veterinarians selling the veterinary medicines that they prescribe. Such decoupling could not be solely for the purpose of economically assisting one sector of an industry over another and in the absence of a veterinary medicine evidential basis for either form of decoupling at that time such a move would not at that time be a viable option.

The advice received was that any such move would in effect be a restriction on the right of Private Veterinarian Practitioners to sell anti-parasitic VMPs which would be done for the purpose of conferring an economic advantage to non-veterinarians i.e. Licensed Merchants.

The issue of decoupling prescribing from retailing was a previous recommendation of the JCAM and it should also be noted that in appearing before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine,06/10/21, (available on www.oireachtas.ie) the DAFM stated:

“Finally, in addressing the recommendation within the Committee’s Report which mentioned the issue of decoupling, which is breaking the link between the dispenser and prescriber, DAFM sought additional legal advice on the issue and whether it is legally feasible. The advice received was that for such decoupling to be permissible, a sound evidential basis in veterinary medicine is required to justify any partial or full prohibition on veterinarians selling the veterinary medicines that they prescribe. Such decoupling could not be solely for the purpose of economically assisting one sector of an industry over another. This would be seen as providing State Aid to one sector over another. The Department’s view is that there is an absence of such sound veterinary medicine evidential basis and therefore decoupling would not currently appear to be a viable option. This aspect was also considered by the EU Parliament during negotiations on the Regulations and it concluded, similar to the Department, that there is no substantive evidence which shows a correlation between decoupling and animal/human health.

DAFM shared the outcome of these advices with members of the Antiparasitic Resistance Stakeholder Group in advance of its meeting on 15th April.