The new National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS) is now fully in operation, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has confirmed.

The minister had said back in October that today (Monday, January 13) would be the start date for the new system.

The NVPS is an electronic national database which will collect all veterinary prescriptions and will, according to the minister, help to support continuing actions by the animal health sector to address the issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The new database is designed to allow for the recording of all veterinary medicines prescribed and dispensed for use in food-producing animals.

Veterinary prescribers can send prescriptions to the NVPS either using the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's web application, or using their own practice software.

Dispensers of veterinary medicines can also use the web application or their own business software to dispense all prescriptions on the NVPS.

According to the department, one of the primary aims of the NVPS is to support the more sustainable use of veterinary medicines, in particular antibiotics.

This is essential for medicines to remain effective in order to protect human and animal health, the department said.

A helpline has been set up to assist users in becoming familiar with the system. This helpline will be open from 9:00a.m to 5:00p.m from today.

Commenting on the new system, Minister McConalogue said: "The development and introduction of this system will improve customer online digital services, in line with the government's National Digital Strategy.

"It will also help to ensure that anti-microbials are used appropriately and to provide greater assurance to our national and international trading partners and customers," he added.

"This innovative prescribing system demonstrates proactive leadership as Ireland continues to work collaboratively to address antimicrobial resistance, while also providing for the continuance of the competitive market for the supply of veterinary medicinal products, and choice to the farming community on where they can purchase and access veterinary medicines," the minister said.

The NVPS has been developed as part of the new Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulation, which was signed into law in September.

This regulation provides for heightened regulation of all anti-parasitics to prescription-only medicine (POM) status. This means that anti-parasitics (such as fluke/worm products) will now only be available on foot of a veterinary prescription issued by a vet.