A group wants to stop the implementation of a European rule that they say will “overburden these professionals with bureaucracy.”
There were protests by doctors on Monday, and there will be more by vets the next day. The 331 veterinary clinics in the province of Alicante have been asked to join a national strike this Tuesday. As a form of protest, consultancies, clinics, and hospitals will be closed.
This protest is against the effects of a new European regulation, and the Valencian Council of Veterinary Colleges (CVCV) has officially backed it. This set of rules will require that orders for antibiotics be sent electronically and add new rules about medicines for animals, which the CVCV calls “restrictive.”
In particular, RD 666/2023, which was signed into law on January 2nd, sets rules for how to report antibiotic orders through the digital platform PRESVET. This is in line with the European policy against antimicrobial resistance.
The CVCV president, Inmaculada Ibor, emphasises the “commitment of all veterinarians against resistance, which is a major public health issue,” but warns “the implementation of this RD and the launch of PRESVET for companion animals imposes an excessive bureaucratic burden that could increase service costs, already burdened since 2012 with a maximum VAT rate of 21%.”
Even though pros agree with the need to fight antimicrobial resistance, they want the government to delay putting the measure into action until 2029, which is when it becomes required by the European Union.
Author: Derek Appleton
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