AVAILABILITY of veterinary medicines on the island of Ireland was a complicated business, made more so by Brexit. The VMD based in London regulates licensing, manufacture and supply in the UK (both GB and NI). Responsibilities are split in ROI: the HPRA oversees the licensing and manufacture part; DAFM (Dept. of Agriculture) the wholesale and retail links in the supply chain.

The UK is a much larger market than ROI, manufacturers might only have a valid licence for one and not the other, or indeed they might prioritise supply into one market over the other. The situation was easier pre-Brexit as many of our veterinary medicines were dual-licensed with the UK – many of us didn’t know it, and most didn’t think about the effect and implications!