BVA welcomes improved online drug sale regulations

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has welcomed the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's (VMD's) decision to impose new controls on online sellers of animal health products.

Following a public consultation on the annually-updated Veterinary Medicines Regulations, the VMD will be introducing new rules that will allow only approved websites to dispense and supply medicines for animals.

The BVA said this decision will help to protect pet owners from inadvertently purchasing counterfeit products from disreputable sources.

Harvey Locke, president of the BVA, said: "We have asked the VMD to put a stop to the increasing problem of prescription fraud and we hope the tighter regulation will be a step towards achieving that aim."

However, the organisation also expressed disappointment at the VMD's decision not to ban advertising of antimicrobial products to farmers, which it believes is a necessary step to combat the problem of drug resistance.

Last month, the BVA criticised the EU Council for scrapping plans to introduce compulsory labelling for meat products taken from animals that were slaughtered without stunning.