The Congress of Deputies has given the green light to the draft Law on Medicines and Health Products, initiating the amendment period for parliamentary groups in the Health Commission, which will conclude on September 29, 2026.
The legislative text allows veterinarians to dispense over-the-counter medications for companion animals, requiring them to provide a receipt detailing the drug name and the freely set retail price. It also incorporates issues previously regulated by Royal Decree 666/2023.
The law also preserves the incompatibility between clinical veterinary practice and the commercialization of medicines, and elevates to law the prohibition of prescribing, dispensing, or selling veterinary medicines in the same establishment, except in pre-established cases. The ban on offering incentives to veterinarians' family members and partners by medicine marketers is also extended.
Regarding magistral formulas and official preparations, the regulation stipulates they will be delivered directly to the end-user. It introduces the authority of the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) to modify drug authorizations under certain circumstances, without prejudice to the holder's obligation to update information based on the latest scientific studies.
Despite including a proposal from the COVB to halve penalties for the veterinary sector, the bill maintains a sanctioning regime considered "very onerous and unjustified." The COVB argues that it fails to consider the profession's specificities, such as drug availability, prescription according to leaflets, outdated authorizations, antibiotic restrictions, and the rigidity of the prescription chain.
The law introduces new offenses related to the prescription cycle, such as issuing incomplete prescriptions or failing to meet formal obligations for information, communication, registration, and traceability, classifying inadequate prescriptions as a serious offense.
In light of this situation, the COVB has reiterated to the General Council of Colleges of the Veterinary Profession of Spain the need to submit amendments to the Congress. The demands include eliminating the incompatibility between clinical practice and commercial activities, authorizing veterinarians to sell medicines for animals under their care, including them as "responsible persons" in retail establishments and as Technical Directors in distribution entities, and modifying the sanctioning regime to align with veterinary reality.
