VMD inspection

Re: VMD inspection

Tim Cheyne — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:55:32 GMT

In my post box this morning was the Vet Record for July 10th containing a feature "Preparing for a medicines inspection"

page 42.[doi: 10.1136/vr.c3285]

Hope that this helps.

Tim.

Re: VMD inspection

alex wraight — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:57:58 GMT

Thank you Richard and others, v helpful to get a few pointers and to hear what the inspecitons are like....

I had heard they are generally more constructive than confrontational!

Will let you know if there's any dramas but should be fine,

Thanks,

Re: VMD inspection

Richard Carter — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 10:30:21 GMT

We have had our VMD inspection - quite chatty and helpful actually - the story of being able to hand over medicines in the full packaging without a label relates to the fact the client then also receives the inserted data sheet. From a client/practitioner point of view we obviously want to highlight the important bits (for us) - the what, how and how often so we put a label on.

My computer still will not do 'species' on a label but am assured by the owners of the management program this is being worked on......

Other little tips after reading the VMD guidence and having a nurse who has seen one of these before - all prescriptions requested while vet away labels go into a box in dispensory to be initialled when come back again; loose medicines in consult now live in a cat litter tray and are removed to dispensory when consulting over. I also moved the flea/worming display to behind the reception counter so clients could not self-serve.

My feeling was the VMD just want to see the vet is taking POM seriously.

Re: VMD inspection

Julian Earl — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 10:13:32 GMT

[quote user="warwickshire vet"]

... There was a lot of interesting discussions about dispensing of POM-V's - the VMD say you can hand out packaged medicines without a label, but it is the RCVS who insist on one, where as the VMD would like to see more directions/warnings given to clients on split packages and labels, which the RCVS seems to say a label will suffice.

[/quote]

Blimey - really?! I obviously need to read the regulations. I thought it was the most obvious law we had to follow re. dispensing medicines? Mind you, I think I still feel a helluva lot happier sending all medicines out with instructions as owners seem to be able to get it wrong sometimes even when they do have written instructions!

Re: VMD inspection

alex wraight — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:44:52 GMT

Thank you for that....

We're going through that document and ticking things off/putting in place as we go.... Will let you know!

Thanks warwickshire vet!

Alex

Re: VMD inspection

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:29:52 GMT

Haven't had the VMD yet but had a DEFRA visit a few years ago. Inspector had a very brief look around wanted to see the dangerous drugs book and sat down with a cup of tea for the next hour. On a stress scale of 1-10 it registered 1 compared with 10 for the in-depth investigation from HMRC and if my wife is to believed - 100 for OFSTED!

Re: VMD inspection

warwickshire vet — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:05:35 GMT

I meant illegally imported non uk drugs.... like wormers or vaccines from Eire (which was mentioned - but we didnt have - of course). We had to produce copies of STC's, of which they have copies already.. I would say it is less job's worthy than 'environmental health' or' trading standards' from previous experience..

Re: VMD inspection

Rob Loxley — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:04:57 GMT

[quote user="warwickshire vet"]Their biggest worry seemed to be vets using non uk imported drugs (which we hadnt got any!)[/quote]

No desensitising vaccines for atopic dogs?

On this I'd flag up that Axiom will let your order them without seeing your STC, so make sure you've actually got the STC! Contrast this to IDEXX who want you to fax the top page of the SIC with your immunotherapy order.

Re: VMD inspection

Bob Russell — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:11:19 GMT

We have not had our notification yet but my nurses are preparing the valium and/or restraints for when they do as I am probably the one that is adversarial.

I upset the Environment Agency inspector who was a jobsworth with a pile of BVA paperwork, very obnoxious - he ended up inspecting our cardboard recycling bin and left.

We got a letter from him telling us we were not to put developer/fixer chemicals down the sink until we had a certificate from Southern Water saying this was OK. We have a silver trap and I had discussed this with the water board and sent them copies of the data sheets. They were happy with that.

I applied to Southern Water for a certificate and they wrote back to say we did not need one as the volumes, silver trap and 'green' nature of the chemicals made it unnecessary. I have kept the letter!

I will try to be more restrained with the VMD!!!

Re: VMD inspection

warwickshire vet — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:16:49 GMT

Hello Alex

The most useful was http://www.vmd.gov.uk/General/VMR/vmgn/VMGNote28.pdf

The visit was not as bad as I feared, certainly not adversarial. All the relevant paper work was checked, particularily the required registers of drugs used, and an inspection of our dispensary, injectables being labelled with dates of opening and being 'in date' was probably the most examined in our visit. He seemed happy to accept our reasons and justifications for our various dispensing systems, saying that every surgery he has visited seemed to have different ways of doing the same thing. Their biggest worry seemed to be vets using non uk imported drugs (which we hadnt got any!).

Best of luck!

Re: VMD inspection

alex wraight — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:43:15 GMT

Hello - we have just been advised we have a VMD inspection. Not been through on before - can I ask which download you say was the most useful to prepare for it?

Thanks

Re: VMD inspection

warwickshire vet — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:30:35 GMT

Had our inspection today, which was a very friendly professional affair, and covered all the areas mentioned in the helpful VMD website download. It made me realise two things - I am very glad to have such a good computer system that was able to extract all the information required at the push of a button, especially having automatic batch numbers entry from the suppliers invoice sent by email (Thank you Vet One!!), and secondly I am glad that I am not involved in food producing animals anymore going by the pages of omitted questions that did not apply to us 'lucky' Small Animal clinicians. There was a lot of interesting discussions about dispensing of POM-V's - the VMD say you can hand out packaged medicines without a label, but it is the RCVS who insist on one, where as the VMD would like to see more directions/warnings given to clients on split packages and labels, which the RCVS seems to say a label will suffice.

Anyway hopefully the last VMD inspection as we are hoping to complete the PSS soon!

Re: VMD inspection

J G Wray — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:23:39 GMT

[quote user="warwickshire vet"]We have just recieved a letter form the VMD asking to inspect our surgery - Has anyone had an experience of this? Is this likely to be a friendly or adversarial visit?[/quote]

Why don't you phone VMD, ask for AMI contact details and ask them? At the same time you could ask them what paperwork you could have ready to make the visit go more smoothly.Their inspectors are overstretched and will appreciate a quick turnaround.

You can stew or you can help yourself.

JGW

Re: VMD inspection

philip goddard — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:25:06 GMT

If you join the practice standards scheme, this is accepted as acceptable evidence that you are behaving properly with POMs. VMD do not really want to have to do inspections, so worth considering going for Core standard as it is the legal and professional minimum now to the best of our knowledge. There will be standards there which you struggle with only if you are not aware that you should be doing them. Happy to help on specific standards where possible.

Philip G

Re: VMD inspection

Noweia — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:05:31 GMT

We had a VMD inspection a few weeks ago. Cannot go into the details on here but let us say it was interesting!

Re: VMD inspection

Mike Martin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:22:52 GMT

I guess, from the absence of replies, you might be the first.

Do write a blog and share your experience in due course. And good luck.