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The impact of online pharmacies
pills
"Online pharmacies could pose a serious threat to the profitability of veterinary practices."
Survey aims to find out if practices in the UK are already affected

Are veterinary practices in the UK already feeling the impact of online pharmacies? This is the question Edinburgh researchers hope to answer with a new online survey.

Online pharmacies are an increasingly popular alternative source for buying pet medication. Some insurance companies even require clients to buy medicines online rather than from their veterinary practice.

Furthermore, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's (VMD) accredited online retailer scheme may be helping to improve client confidence in drugs bought online.

A survey has been launched by the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute to find out if this increasing threat is already being felt by practices in the UK.

The survey was announced in the letters section of the latest Veterinary Record (Vol 175, No 11).

Hannah Henderson wrote: "Online pharmacies could pose a serious threat to the profitability of veterinary practices."

The short survey aims to find out how aware practices are of this threat and whether they have already noticed a change in client behaviour.

To complete the survey, visit: www.surveymonkey.com/s/MQ97VJF

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Voting opens for BEVA Council

News Story 1
 Eligible members of BEVA will be able to vote for their Council team until Monday, 17 August 2026. Members will have received an election email on 17 July.

There are five candidates standing for four available places on Council. They are:

  • Alexandre Triguino
  • Angela Jones
  • Beth Bryant
  • Holly Rees
  • Hugh Somerville
Full profiles for each candidate can be found on the BEVA website

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Milk recalled over presence of veterinary medicines

Graham's Family Dairy has issued a recall for its semi-skimmed milk due to the presence of veterinary medicines in the product.

In a risk statement, the Food Standards Agency said the presence of the medicines, including penicillin, make the milk unsafe to consume and 'may be a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to antibiotics'.

Customers who bought the product are advised to return it to the store of purchase for a full refund.