Vet-AI calls for vet industry to accept remote prescriptions

Pet telemedicine firm Vet-AI is calling for remote prescribing to be permitted for video consultations across the veterinary industry after it claimed research “revealed treatment through the height of the Covid-19 lockdown period to be successful”.

Vet-AI, which offers video veterinary consultations via its Joii Pet Care app, analysed records from all consultations across the height of the pandemic, between 1 April and 31 October 2020.

In the seven-month timeframe, Joii Pet Care’s RCVS-registered vets conducted 21,383 veterinary video consultations: 78.1% of which were for dogs and 21.9% for cats. Of the total vet-led video consultations completed, 3,541 had medicines prescribed during the consultation. Some consultations required more than one prescription, which meant a total of 4,282 POM-V medications were prescribed. Of those, just 0.87% reported a mild adverse effect.

Antibiotics were prescribed in 5.9% of all consultations, 99.3% of which was first line. Follow-up on prescribing was available in 67.7% of cases and 89.4% of all known treatment outcomes were complete or had an expected response to treatment. Skin problems were the most common body system/disease category seen and prescribed for.

Vet Samantha Webster, of Joii Pet Care, said: “Given the clear evidence outlined in this report, we believe the future of veterinary medicine should include remote consultations with remote prescribing where appropriate and regulated.

“We invite the RCVS and other veterinary governing bodies to consider that there is a place for prescribing remotely on an ongoing basis for certain cases under certain conditions, such as a secure video and audio link with clinical record keeping and pharmacovigilance practice. A blanket ban is not appropriate with the advance of modern technology.”