March 15, 2024

UK regulation introduced to update Veterinary Medicines Regulations

The government of the United Kingdom has introduced legislation to modernise the Veterinary Medicines Regulations and maintain the UK as an attractive place to develop and market veterinary medicines.

The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 set out the controls on the marketing, production, distribution, possession and administration of veterinary medicines and medicated feed.

The legislation will implement plans set out in a recently published government response to a 2023 public consultation, which received widespread support from the veterinary medicines sector.

The new regulations seek to reduce regulatory burden and facilitate the submission of one marketing authorisation application dossier to enable common packaging to be used across the UK.

Other changes include the introduction of measures to help tackle antimicrobial resistance by increasing restrictions on the use of antibiotics and antibiotics administered via feed.

The new regulations build upon wider work on antimicrobial resistance outlined in the UK's 20-year vision to contain and control antimicrobial resistance by 2040, delivered through its five-year National Action Plan for AMR.

- UK Government