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Veterinary Practitioner Requirements

Labels and advice notes

All veterinary chemical products dispensed by a veterinarian must be appropriately labelled or provided with an advice note. This includes routine dispensing of S4 products, other veterinary chemical products for off-label use and unregistered veterinary chemicals.

Labels and advice notes will include the following information:

  • the business name, address and telephone number of the veterinary practitioner
  • the date the product was sold
  • the species and type (breed, age and sex) of animal to be treated
  • the directions for treating the animal with the product
  • the WHP for the species treated (if no WHP applies, use the statement, ‘Nil Withholding Requirement’
  • the product name (unless it is sold in a container bearing the manufacturer’s label).

If the veterinary chemical product is unregistered, the following additional information must be included on the label or advice note:

  • the name of the active constituent
  • the concentration of the active constituent.

Advice notes are particularly useful for off-label treatments as they can be signed by the owner and act as a record for the veterinarian that the owner is aware of the conditions for use.

Labels with ‘Do Not’ statements

Veterinarians are not permitted to use a veterinary chemical product contrary to a specific restraint on the manufacturer’s label (e.g. ‘Do not use in food producing animals’ or ‘Not for use in cattle that are producing milk’). In some states, it is permitted to treat a single major species animal contrary to a ‘Do Not’ statement in the same way as for unregistered products. Other states do not permit any treatment contrary to a ‘Do Not’ statement (NT and Vic), hence it is important to check the relevant legislation.

Veterinary advice note template: Veterinary advice note (veterinary practitioners)

 Veterinary advice note

The Veterinary advice note template is recommended for use by veterinarians:

  • when treating stock animals with any registered veterinary medicine off-label, or
  • when treating single stock animals with an unregistered drug, or
  • when dispensing a veterinary medicine for either of these purposes, or
  • when treating an animal with a Prescription Animal Remedy or animal health product that has a withholding period, as a producer record, when there is no follow-on treatment.

Veterinary advice notes can also be used if there is insufficient space on the label to provide directions for use of a veterinary medicine.

The information recommended for recording in the Veterinary advice note template meets the legislative requirements for chemical use records for both veterinarians and producers. The template is only a suggested format and may be customised to meet the needs of the individual practice as required. Self duplicating pads allow for a record to be kept by the veterinarian while also providing the information to the producer. Veterinary advice notes must be provided to the producer before or at the time of treatment of the animal/s.

Use of unregistered veterinary chemical products

A veterinary practitioner or pharmacist acting in accordance with the written directions of a veterinary practitioner must not sell an unregistered veterinary chemical product unless:

  1. the unregistered veterinary chemical product is for the treatment of an animal
    other than a stock animal and the unregistered veterinary chemical product is accompanied by the following written information –
    1. the business name, address and telephone number of the veterinary practitioner or pharmacist selling the product; and
    2. the date the product was sold; and
    3. the species and type (breed, age and sex) of the animal to be treated; and
    4. the directions for treating the animal with the product; and
    5. the name of the active constituent and the concentration of the active constituent: or
  2. the unregistered veterinary chemical product is for the treatment of a stock animal and the quantity of the unregistered veterinary chemical product is sufficient to treat only a single stock animal: or
  3. the sale is in accordance with a permit under section 25(2)(b) of the Act.

Veterinary practitioner records

All veterinary practitioners who sell or use a veterinary chemical product to treat stock animals (i.e. any animal of which any part is used as, or which produces any product that is ordinarily used as, or manufactured into, food for humans, and includes bees, fish, and birds) are now required to make specified records within 24 hours of selling or using a chemical product.

The following requirements apply to the sale or use of a veterinary chemical product that:

  • contains a Schedule 4 Poison substance
  • is not registered as a veterinary chemical product by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA)
  • is sold without an APVMA approved label
  • is sold for a use not specified on the product label, or
  • has an applicable WHP.

Veterinary practitioners are required to make the following records within 24 hours of selling or using a veterinary chemical product for the treatment of a stock animal:

  • the product name
  • the date the product was sold/used
  • the directions for use
  • the name and address of the person purchasing the product
  • the quantity of the product sold/used
  • the species of animal to be treated
  • the location of the animal to be treated, and
  • any applicable WHPs.

If the veterinary chemical product is unregistered, three additional records must be made:

  • the name of the active constituent
  • the concentration of the product at time of sale/use, and
  • the form of product at time of sale/use.