Veterinarian using tablet near resting cat.

In this article I am going to go over all the required information for your Veterinary Prescription (at the bottom you can download our free Veterinary Prescription Template, this comes in both Word and PDF format)

What is a Veterinary Prescription?

A ‘veterinary prescription’ is defined by EU law as ‘any prescription for a veterinary medicinal product issued by a professional person qualified to do so in accordance with applicable national law’. The word ‘veterinary’ takes its normal meaning ‘of or for animals’. The act of prescribing is taken to mean the decision made by the prescriber as to which product should be supplied, taking account of the circumstances of the animals being treated, the available authorized veterinary medicinal products and the need for responsible use of medicines.



Record Keeping

The following information needs to be retained for 5 years of the date of receipt, and should also be on the Veterinary Prescription

  • The date of the transaction
  • details of the animal remedy (and if Regulation 45(5) applies, alternatives) to be administered specifying the authorised name and the number of the veterinary product authorisation
  • The manufacturer’s batch number and expiry date
  • The manner and site of administration
  • The dose rate and withdrawal period to be observed
  • A description of the animal or animals to which the prescription relates
  • The name and address of the person to whom the prescription is granted
  • The period during which the prescription is valid
  • special instructions, precautions or risks
  • The name, address and signature of the registered veterinary practitioner


Veterinary Practice Management Software

All the above information is stored in any good Veterinary Practice Management Software, but good VPMS software also have so much more available and can be used to run your entire business. If you are starting out and only want to keep hand written prescriptions, then the below templates will cover everything you need, or if you would like a demo of everything else that a VPMS can do please contact us



Download the Veterinary Prescription Template

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