PRESCRIPTIONS UPDATE
On 1st September 2023 our regulatory body, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) introduced new guidance on prescribing prescription-only medicines. There was a grace period until 1st January 2024 for some classes of medication including parasiticides (flea, tick and worming treatments). The new guidance requires that a clinical assessment, which usually entails a physical examination of your pet, be performed every time antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals and parasiticides are prescribed.
The guidance is an important step towards ensuring responsible antimicrobial use and reduces the veterinary impact on the wider issues of global antibiotic resistance and decline in insect populations.
Your pet will need to have seen a Veterinary Surgeon for an in-person consultation to make an appropriate parasiticide treatment plan personalised to their lifestyle and risk. We will aim to do this at regular, routine vaccination and health check appointments to reduce the need for additional appointments. However, a separate 'parasiticide check up' consultation may be required.
We will enter a prescription 'authorisation' of our recommendations onto your pet's clinical notes, which can then be used to issue medication for the following 12-months. Once this authorisation is in place you can order parasiticide treatment as you previously have done so.
A 'parasiticide check up' consultation is free for members of our Pet Health for Life (PH4L) plan.
For long term prescription medication which is not an antimicrobial/antiparasitic, our usual policy of requiring a regular examination usually every 3-6 months continues to apply. The medication review consultations will be charged at our usual fees.
You can read the full guidance from the RCVS on their website.
________________________________________
Important client update - East Dean surgery
Effective from Friday, 17th May 2024, our East Dean surgery will be merging with our other St Anne’s Surgeries. This decision comes as a result of the limited operating hours at East Dean, which are currently one hour a day, four times a week. This limited schedule has proven to be unsustainable for providing comprehensive veterinary care to our clients and their pets.
By consolidating our sites, we will be able to offer better opening hours and improve accessibility to our services, offering greater flexibility in scheduling appointments and accessing veterinary care when you need it most.
All registered clients of our East Dean Surgery will be able to visit any of our other branches, ensuring uninterrupted access to our services. You will have the option to choose from any of our other locations within St Anne’s:
- Eastbourne 01323 640 011 (3.8 miles away)
- Willingdon 01323 487 665 (5 miles away)
- Langney 01323 763 949 (6.6 miles away)
For more information, please click here.
Accessing our services
Whilst visiting us, we're here to provide you and your pets with the best experience that we can give.
We are here for you and your pet, so please, if you have any questions or would like to find out more, contact us here.
Social Media