Registering a practice
If your veterinary practice supplies or stores medicines, you’re legally required to register it with us. Learn what qualifies as a veterinary practice premises, the registration requirements, fees and more.
On this page
In order to supply medicines, veterinary practices must be registered. We hold the register on behalf of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), which is responsible for assuring the safety, quality and efficacy of veterinary medicines. Find out more about the role of the VMD.
What counts as a veterinary premises?
These locations are considered veterinary premises if medical products are to be stored or supplied from them:
- A building where veterinary surgeons provide veterinary services.
- A building that’s advertised or promoted as being part of a veterinary practice.
- A building that’s open to members of the public to bring animals for veterinary treatment and care.
- A building closed to the public but where a vet practises or provides veterinary services to more than one client.
- A building where medicines are delivered wholesale, on the authority of one or more practising vets – even if those medicines have not yet been used or have only been used on your own animals or those of family and/or friends.
- A charity building allowing members of the public to bring animals for veterinary treatment and care.
- A charity building used as a base to provide veterinary services to other clients.
- A charity building that drugs are delivered to and/or supplied from, and that stores drugs overnight.
- A stall at an exhibition or show promoting a practice where medicines are supplied, but there’s no vet present. In this situation, a suitably qualified person (SQP) must be present. If the stall is linked to a registered premises and a vet is present, it doesn’t need to be registered.
- A stall at an exhibition or show operating solely to supply veterinary medicines. A mobile unit, such as a marquee or a vet’s car, must be related to the promotion of a registered premises and not solely used as a mobile shop to supply medicines.
The location or unit does not need to be registered if it’s:
- A mobile or ambulatory unit – however, to provide medicines from the mobile or ambulatory unit, it must be linked to a registered bricks and mortar premises (such as a veterinary practice or a home address).
- A stall at an exhibition or show promoting a registered premises where a vet is present. Small quantities of veterinary medicines can be supplied if the stall is an extension of the registered premises, and there’s an RCVS-registered vet present.
- A charity or business building where small quantities of medicines are left to be prescribed later. In this case, you need to record that the building must be made.
If you’re unsure whether your premises needs to be registered, please contact the Registration Team on 0207 202 0707 or at [email protected].
Medicines regulations and practice premises
Vets must keep a record of premises and other places where they store or keep medicines. For example, practice vehicles and homes where medicines are kept for on-call purposes.
These locations or vehicles do not need to be registered with the RCVS, but they must be on this record.
The record should be kept at your practice’s main veterinary practice building.
If you keep medicines at home
If you practise from your home and supply medicines to others, your home must be registered as a veterinary premises.
It doesn’t need to be registered if you store small quantities of medicines, for example for on-call purposes. However, this store of medicines must be recorded at a registered veterinary premises.
Chapter 4 of the supporting guidance to the Code has more information.
Inspection of practice premises
Registered veterinary premises are inspected by the VMD or, if they’re in the Practice Standards Scheme (PSS), by a PSS inspector to:
improve traceability of Controlled Drugs, and
ensure that vets are compliant with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations.
The frequency of these inspections is determined using a risk-based approach. Premises that are compliant with medicines regulations will be inspected every 4 years. However, less compliant premises may be inspected more frequently.
Visit the registration and inspection of veterinary practice premises to find out statutory inspection fees
If your practice is part of the Practice Standards Scheme (PSS), it will not be inspected by the VMD. Compliance with the Veterinary Medicines Regulations will be assessed during your PSS inspection.
How to register a new premises
- Complete the register of veterinary practice premises form
- Email your form to [email protected] within four weeks* of your premises opening
- We’ll send you a pre-registration email, with information on how to set up your practice on My Account
- Pay the registration fee via My Account
*Applications can only be accepted within four weeks of the veterinary premises opening date. Be aware that your premises could be inspected immediately.
If you have new premises, it will be inspected within six months of opening and you will be charged an inspection fee.
For more information on the statutory fee for a VMD inspection, please visit the gov.uk page.
The registration fee
The registration fee is per premises. This means that if you have one main premises and two branch premises, your annual fee for the whole practice group will be three times the registration fee.
Your registration fee covers the registration of your premises until the next renewal date (1 April each year).
Practice names
Practice names are a form of advertising and must comply with Chapter 23 of the supporting guidance to the Code of Conduct (Protection of title, advertising, and endorsements). Some practices may also need a letter of non-objection from the RCVS if the practice is to be incorporated as a company at Companies House.
Before you complete the register of veterinary practices form, you must read the guidance above and the FAQs - Advertising of practice names. For further advice, contact the advice team on 020 7202 0789 or [email protected].
Adding your practice to Find a Vet
If your veterinary practice is open to the public, we’ll send you a registration form to list your practice on Find a Vet, our online search tool for professionals and the public.
Moving to a new veterinary premises
Registration cannot be transferred between locations, so if you’re moving your practice, it must be registered separately. Please follow the registration process for new premises.
The new building(s) must be registered before you store or supply any veterinary medicines, and you’ll also need to close the premises you are moving from.
Practice Standards Scheme practices
If you’re in the PSS, your accreditation will not be transferred to the new location. You’ll need to make a new application to join the Scheme.
If your practice premises is changing ownership
If the owner, practice name, staff, management or operational running of your practice premises is changing, you’ll need to re-register your premises. Please follow the registration process for new veterinary premises.
Closing a veterinary premises
To close a veterinary premises, please complete the register of veterinary practice premises removal form and send it to [email protected].
Contact our team
For any questions, please contact the registration team on 0207 202 0707 or at [email protected].