Veterinary Pharmacy Association launched

A new association dedicated to veterinary pharmacy has been launched.

The Veterinary Pharmacy Association (VPA) is a professional multidisciplinary organisation that will promote and support the practice of veterinary pharmacy by all veterinary healthcare providers.

It was officially launched during a dinner held on 14 September 2017 at Harper Adams University (HAU), during the first residential week of its veterinary pharmacy MSc/postgraduate diploma programme.

The VPA said in a statement that it will seek to highlight the role of veterinary pharmacy by “promoting excellence in the safe, effective and appropriate use of medication in animals, thereby improving animal health and well-being; raising awareness of public health implications arising from contact between humans and animals, and facilitating fully accredited training and continuing professional development”.

It will publish a full programme of events and continuing professional development opportunities in October 2017.

Rob Morris, chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) online Veterinary Pharmacy Network (VPN), which has around 1,100 members, said that the association “aims to promote excellence and education in this specialised field of pharmacy and I look forward to welcoming new members”.

Morris plans to develop the RPS VPN website with regular blogs and updates sharing the activity of the VPA, and with added information about veterinary pharmacy matters including reclassification of medicines.

The VPA will also be supported by Harper Adams, which is an RPS and Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority accredited training provider.

Carwyn Ellis, head of the Animal Production, Welfare and Veterinary Sciences Department at HAU, said: “Harper Adams University is delighted to be associated with the VPA. I welcome the fact that VPA support will be available to all veterinary health providers involved in the production and supply of veterinary medicinal products.”