Veterinary medicine supply in Northern Ireland beyond 2025
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-13)

VMD provides details on schemes to support continued access to veterinary medicines from 1 January 2026.

Veterinary professionals and businesses supplying medicines to Northern Ireland will benefit from updated guidance to prepare for the new arrangements in place when the current grace period ends on 31 December 2025.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has published updated details of two schemes, announced earlier this year (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterinary-medicines-in-northern-ireland), that are designed to help safeguard medicine supply: the Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme and the Veterinary Medicines Health Situation Scheme.

The guidance now includes specific criteria that the VMD will use to assess which products can be accessed under the Health Situation Scheme. The list of eligible Products available via the Veterinary Medicine Health Situation Scheme (VMHSS) - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/products-available-via-the-veterinary-medicine-health-situation-scheme-vmhss) will be kept under review and updated as required by the VMD to further build resilience for any health situation.

The VMD has also updated all relevant gov.uk guidance and published a manual of user guidance at Northern Ireland Veterinary Medicines Supplementary guidance - Guidance - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/northern-ireland-veterinary-medicines-supplementary-guidance), to allow all those with an interest in the supply of veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland to prepare for the requirements under EU veterinary medicine regulations that will come into effect in Northern Ireland on 1 January 2026.

The schemes form part of the Government’s commitment to ensure that the needs of animal health and welfare in Northern Ireland can continue to be meet.

All updated and new guidance pages are linked below:
- Veterinary Medicine Health Situation Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/veterinary-medicine-health-situation-scheme)
- Products available via the Veterinary Medicine Health Situation Scheme (VMHSS) - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/products-available-via-the-veterinary-medicine-health-situation-scheme-vmhss)
- Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/veterinary-medicines-internal-market-scheme)
- Supplying veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supplying-veterinary-medicines-to-northern-ireland)
- Report a supply problem with a veterinary medicine - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-a-supply-problem-with-a-veterinary-medicine)
- Advertise veterinary medicines legally - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/advertise-veterinary-medicines-legally)
- Apply for veterinary medicine wholesale dealer’s authorisation (WDA) - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-veterinary-medicine-wholesale-dealers-authorisation-wda)
- Import a medicine for veterinary use into the UK - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-certificate-to-import-a-veterinary-medicine-into-the-uk)
- Retail of veterinary medicines - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/retail-of-veterinary-medicines)
- Manufacture and supply of medicated feedingstuffs - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/manufacturing-and-supplying-veterinary-medicines-for-animal-feed)
- Northern Ireland Veterinary Medicines Supplementary guidance - Guidance - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/northern-ireland-veterinary-medicines-supplementary-guidance)
Further technical guidance can be found on: VMD Information Hub - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vmd-information-hub)

Please contact xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) if you have any questions.