Animal medicines and residues

Veterinary medicine records

This page contains information relating to the maintenance of records on the use of veterinary medicines.

Under The Veterinary Medicines Regulations, records must be kept in respect of the use of all veterinary medicines. These records must include the following information.

When a medicine is purchased the following must be recorded:

• name of the product and the batch number
• date of purchase
• quantity purchased
• name and address of the supplier

At the time of administration the following must be recorded:

• name of the product
• date of administration
• quantity administered
• the withdrawal period
• identification of the animals treated

In addition if the medicine is administered by a Veterinary Surgeon the following must also be recorded:

• name of the Veterinary Surgeon
• batch number of the product

If the product is disposed of, other than by treating an animal, the following must be recorded:

• the date of disposal
• the quantity of product involved
• how and where it was disposed

Information on how to dispose of unused Veterinary Medicines should be sought from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

All records - including any veterinary prescriptions where they are provided - must be kept in a permanent and legible form for at least five years following the administration or disposal of the product, even if the animals concerned have been sold or slaughtered or have died during that period.

Additionally, farmers must ensure withdrawal periods relating to veterinary medicines are observed.

Records will be checked by Veterinary Service inspectors while carrying out farm visits in the course of their duties. Records must be made available to an inspector on request and, if necessary, in a form which can be taken away for further inspection. Failure to keep proper records may effect single farm payment and may result in prosecution leading to a fine of up to £5,000.

The Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) is responsible, on behalf of the Minister of the Department of Health, for medicines control in Northern Ireland, including veterinary medicines. (For more information on Veterinary Medicines control visit the MRG web page).

More useful links

• Overview of Antimicrobial Usage and Bacterial Resistance in Selected Human and Animal Pathogens in the UK
• The Veterinary Medicines Directorate's Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme
• Application to import either bacterial or viral vaccines in to Northern Ireland
• Veterinary Medicines Directorate Antibiotic Resistance Guidance (DEFRA website)