The national veterinary prescription system (NVPS) will come into operation on January 13, 2025, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine confirmed today (Wednesday, October 23).

Minister Charlie McConalogue has signed the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Act 2023 (Section 7 – Commencement) Order 2024 into law.

This Order sets January 13, 2025 as the commencement date for section seven of the act which brings into operation the NVPS.

The NVPS is a secure electronic prescription system that has been developed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to meet certain requirements in line with new EU veterinary medicines regulations.

All veterinary prescriptions and dispensing will have to be recorded on the national database.

Minister McConalogue said today that the commencement date for the NVPS will provide "clarity" to those in the industry prescribing and dispensing veterinary medicines.

He has also encouraged "all stakeholders" to work together to ensure the successful introduction of the NVPS.

According to DAFM the NVPS will provide the farming community with "a much greater choice on where they may obtain their veterinary medicinal products".

It also stated that the new system will allow for "non-dispensed digital scripts" to be made available for dispensing from all outlets across the country and will "tighten the controls" within the food production process from a farming perspective. 

DAFM has detailed that the NVPS will provide "greater regulatory oversight" on those parties involved in the general prescribing, dispensing, use of veterinary medicinal products.

Minister McConaloague has said that he believes the new system also "provides a real opportunity" to deliver on DAFM's strategy to "protect human and animal health and welfare" because of what he described as the "enhanced oversight of prescribing practices".

According to the minister the NVPS could deliver the potential "to secure access to new markets or retaining others, whilst meeting European regulatory requirements".