Consultation begins on flea and tick treatments
The eight-week consultation will examine the implications of such changes.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has called for evidence on the presence of flea and tick treatments in the UK’s rivers and streams.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is considering a change to flea and tick treatment sales, meaning they could only be accessible from veterinary professionals, pharmacists or Suitably Qualified Persons (SQPs).
Its consultation follows VMD-funded research, which revealed that the application of some flea and tick treatments was contributing to the chemicals in watercourses. The VMD found that this happened through wastewater pathways, as well as when treated pets swam in natural bodies of water.
Defra’s own monitoring reveals that chemical concentrations in the water were frequently exceeding the toxicity which aquatic insects can handle. The residue has been identified in river sediments, fish tissue, wild bird nests and coastal waters.
This suggested that there were multiple pathways through which contamination was occurring.
Defra says that, while these medications play an essential role in animal and human health, the increasing evidence of environmental contamination has prompted the VMD to consult on medicine sales.
The eight-week consultation is seeking views on the data on environmental contamination. It also hopes to understand how changes to the supply routes of flea and tick treatments may affect animal welfare, pet owners, businesses and access to medicines.
The VMD has no plans to entirely ban their sale.
Abigail Seager, VMD’s chief executive officer, said: "We know that fipronil and imidacloprid play an important role in protecting pets and people from parasites and the diseases they can carry. However, these substances are entering our waterways and may be having wider environmental impacts.
“As part of the call for evidence we want to hear as many perspectives as possible to ensure future decisions help us maintain appropriate availability of veterinary medicines on the UK market, while protecting animal health and the environment.”
The consultation will close on 11 June 2026. Responses can be submitted via Citizen Space or by email to consultation@vmd.gov.uk
Image © Aleksandar Djordjevic/Shutterstock
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
