Management of Medicated Feedingstuffs Prescriptions (MFSps)

Action has been agreed between AIC, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and veterinary profession to ensure that the vet is in control of the diagnosis of any disease in the animals under his/her care and the subsequent medication required. Thus, medicated feed is never delivered until the vet has issued the MFSp to the feed supplier and copied the farmer.

In order to facilitate the timely manufacture of a medicated feed, feed suppliers can advise vets that they have received a feed order. Attached is a “Notification to vet practice of request for a medicated feed” that has been agreed with the VMD, BVA and PVS for use by feed suppliers.

It is suggested that member companies discuss this matter with their farmer customers’ vets.

Members must ensure that their representatives never give advice on medication types or use.

It has been agreed that the management of MFSps should be reviewed after 12 months or earlier if thought necessary. If the VMD considers that there are too many instances of the wrong procedures being followed it could reconsider the possibility of producing a Code of Practice on the management of MFSPs for the veterinary profession, farmers and feed industry.

Background

In 2012, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) issued a “Best Practice Note – Medicated Feedingstuffs Prescriptions (MFSp) Best Practice”. This was because officials were of the understanding that it was common practice for vets to issue an MFSp on request of a feed supplier which had taken an order from a customer following self-diagnosis ie completely in the wrong order. Subsequent feedback from VMD inspectors’ demonstrated that further progress was still required and it was agreed that the VMD should produce a Code of Practice for the management of MFSps which would apply to the veterinary profession, farmers and the feed industry.

The draft Code of Practice proposed that a feed supplier could not request a prescription on receipt of an order from a customer and that the MFSp had to be supplied from the vet to his customer who would then forward it on to the feed supplier. The concern of AIC was that compliance with the proposal as drafted would result in several days’ delay in the production and delivery of medicated feeds with potential animal health and welfare problems.

Further to a number of meetings between AIC, the VMD and representatives of the veterinary profession including the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and Pig Veterinary Society (PVS), it has been made clear that the vet is in control of the diagnosis for the animals under his/her care and that medicated feed is never supplied until the vet has issued the MFSp to the feed supplier and copied the farmer

AIC advised the VMD that the majority of their customers do have a formal arrangement with a vet and routine discussions including, where applicable, the formulation of a Herd Health Plan.

The PVS has also advised that where medicated feeds are produced for the pig sector, in most cases the details of the medications being used for individual farms are in the relevant herd health plan. If a farmer does not have a herd health plan, or is not already in dialogue with a vet about a particular problem, an MFSp will not be issued until a vet has visited the animals on the farm. 

However, documentation released by the VMD, under the Freedom of Information Act, does confirm that officials have been alerted to problems in the management of MFSp by phone calls and some written correspondence, either from a vet or from a mill that was unhappy about the procedures used by the other.

Both the veterinary profession and feed industry have confirmed to the VMD that they do not condone those who fail to follow the correct order of prescribing.

Action

Further to these discussions it has been agreed that the:-

• BVA will circulate guidance on the correct completion of a MFSp as part of the responsible use of medicines programme. This guidance is to be circulated through the different BVA Divisions; this will be primarily aimed at veterinary surgeons who do not routinely use MFSp, for example companion animal practices with game bird farmers and keepers as clients, but will be extended to others if the need is identified;

• The Inspection and Investigation Team at the VMD is to carry out assessments of samples of MFSps during the inspections of mills;

• Feed suppliers can advise Vets that they have received a feed order and have prepared a “Notification to vet practice of request for a medicated feed” on that basis

A copy of the “Notification to vet practice of request for a medicated feed” is attached and is for the use of all feed member suppliers.

Members are also asked to advise Lee Grist at the VMD and, optionally copy the AIC secretariat, of any instances in which either a farmer or vet was not following the correct procedure required for the issuing of a MFSp.

Lee’s contact details are as follows:-

Medicated Feeds and Specified Feed Additives Legislation and Policy Advice
Veterinary Medicines Directorate,
Woodham Lane,
New Haw, Surrey,
KT15 3LS

Tel: 01932 338307 
Fax: 01932 336618 
Email: [email protected]

Similarly, members of the veterinary profession will advise the VMD if there are instances of feed mills initiating the issuing of a MFSp.

Examples of this could be feed company representatives suggesting the use of veterinary medicinal products such as Deccox to their ruminant customers rather than advising them to discuss diagnosis and treatment with their vet.

To this end, Members must ensure that their representatives never give advice on medication types or use.

As previously stated, it has been agreed that the situation should be reviewed after 12 months or earlier if thought necessary. If the VMD considers that there are too many instances of the wrong procedures being followed it could reconsider the possibility of producing a Code of Practice on the management of MFSPs for the veterinary profession, farmers and feed industry.

AIC - Notification to VP for request for MFSp-rev1