Vet nurses’ role in medicines supply – supporting the educators
Vet Nurses’ Role In Medicines Supply – Supporting The Educators
For someone wanting to study for a veterinary nursing diploma in the UK, the qualification is offered through further education centres by three qualification providers: Central Qualifications, City and Guilds, and VetSkill. The newest of these, VetSkill, is also a regulatory body for Suitably Qualified Persons (SQPs), and the SQP qualification is integrated in the VetSkill diploma. Holders of the additional qualification (who will be able to opt to continue registration after qualification in order to practise as SQPs) will represent a growing proportion of qualifying vet nurses in future, particularly as City and Guilds are ceasing to offer the veterinary nursing diploma, and many centres have already decided to offer the VetSkill diploma in its place.
There is already a substantial medicines component in the veterinary nursing diploma – covering pharmacology, administration of medicines, and dispensing. As one of the three Registered Qualified Persons legally permitted to prescribe and supply veterinary medicines, SQPs may prescribe POM-VPS medicines (which are mainly products for farm animals and horses) and NFA-VPS medicines (which are mainly companion-animal parasiticides) relevant to the SQP’s registration category (companion animal, equine, farm or avian). Addition of the SQP element to the diploma requires a deeper understanding of veterinary medicines regulations and the role of the SQP in the prescription and supply of POM-VPS and NFA-VPS medicines. A key aspect is ensuring clarity about the boundaries of responsibility in veterinary practice between prescribing and supplying as an SQP, and supplying medicines under the responsibility of a vet.
The development in vet nurse education will lead to more vet nurses having the SQP qualification. Together with changes in the companion animal parasiticides product landscape because of supply category reclassifications, this is surely a prompt for practices to review the product range offered and the way in which professional parasite management advice is delivered in veterinary practice to enhance the benefits to pet owners and practices.
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A new regulator and other changes for SQPs: what could these mean?
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