The UK government has today (Friday, June 5) been warned about the impacts that post-Brexit arrangements are having on the Northern Irish veterinary sector.
The details of how farmers and vets are being affected by these new arrangements were described within a letter addressed to the UK Minister for Biosecurity, Borders and Animals, Baroness Hayman.
The letter was written by the chair of the UK’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee, Alistair Carmichael MP.
In his letter, Carmichael told Hayman about anecdotes that he has heard from farmers and vets since Northern Ireland’s grace period expired at the end of 2025, which previously allowed the supply of veterinary medicines from Great Britain (GB) into Northern Ireland post-Brexit.
New changes
At the start of this year, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) outlined that the access of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland is now facilitated by two new schemes – the Veterinary Medicines Health Situations Scheme (VMHSS) and the Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme (VMIMS).
However, six months on from the end of the grace period, the chair and his fellow EFRA members noted that the true impact of these two schemes “remains unrealised and uncertain.”
According to the letter, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) previously acknowledged that significant stockpiles of medicines had been amassed ahead of the changes.
Carmichael suggested that any systemic affects of VMHSS and VMIMS “may only become apparent” once this stockpile diminishes, with the MP claiming this might happen as soon as this summer.
Impacts
Despite not experiencing the full impact of the changes, farmers and vets reportedly shared examples of early impacts with EFRA representatives already.
According to the EFRA Committee chair, vets have reported resorted to alternative medicines or formulations, which may be less familiar, less suitable, or more expensive, due to certain products becoming harder to source.
The letter also highlighted concerns about an “increased day-to-day reliance on the veterinary cascade”, which is a prescribing framework that allows vets to use off-label or unauthorised medicines when no suitable veterinary medicine licensed for that species and condition is available in the UK or the EU.
“Whilst recognising the importance of the cascade in exceptional circumstances, some suggested its more routine use is increasing the cost of veterinary treatments in Northern Ireland that are not being experienced elsewhere in the UK,” Carmichael said.
He also noted that he has heard examples of vets being unable to access commonly used “workhorse” antimicrobials for routine treatment, and instead turning to antimicrobials typically reserved for more serious or critical infections.
“This raises potential concerns for antimicrobial stewardship and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), although we are aware there is currently limited data available to assess the scale or impact of these changes,” the MP wrote.
In addition to this, the letter also alerted that NI’s smaller market scale can limit access to “cost-effective or appropriately sized products” due to restrictive packaging and pricing.
The letter also featured the following questions, which Carmichael hopes Minister Hayman can address:
- What monitoring is being undertaken to track any increased reliance on the veterinary cascade, particularly in relation to antimicrobial use and AMR risks?;
- What data is being collected on the operation and uptake of VMIMS and VMHSS, and when will this be published?;
- How is Defra addressing concerns about product availability, pack sizes and cost disparities between Northern Ireland and Great Britain?
NI veterinary workforce
Carmichael also informed Hayman about the EFRA Committee’s report on the sustainability of the UK veterinary workforce, which was also published today.
Within the report, issues specific to Northern Ireland’s veterinary sector are identified, including concerns raised by vets and farmers regarding the lack of regulation of farriery.
The letter outlined that unlike the rest of the UK, the Farriers Act 1975 does not extend to Northern Ireland, which has reportedly led to concerns about equine welfare.
“While we have not taken detailed evidence on this issue, we see merit in considering whether reform to farriery regulation should be included within a new Veterinary Surgeons Act and, as part of this reform, extended to Northern Ireland,” Carmichael requested.
The chair added that the EFRA Committee has set a deadline of June 22 for Minister Hayman to respond to raised concerns and finding within the committee’s newly published report.