Veterinary drug licensing
Last updated on February 15, 2023The sale of veterinary drugs in specially licenced businesses, under the Veterinary Drugs Act, began in 1968 mainly to provide livestock producers access to pharmaceuticals in remote areas of the province where there was no service. The Pharmacists, Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act includes sections pertaining to veterinary drugs.
There are four types of veterinary drug licences:
Limited medicated feed licence
This licence is for a business where non-prescription medicated feeds are sold but not manufactured (i.e. purchased as bagged medicated feed).
The annual fee is $12.00 and expires on March 31st each year. The licensee is required to record all purchases of medicated feed that have been imported for sale from another province or another country in the Veterinary Drug Purchase Register. The original copy of the Veterinary Drug Purchase Register must be forwarded to the Chief Veterinarian before February 28th each year to cover all out-of-province purchases for the previous calendar year.
Medicated feed licence application
This licence authorizes the licensee to manufacture and to sell feeds medicated with veterinary over the counter drugs listed in the most recent edition of the federal Compendium of Medicating Ingredients Brochures to the limit shown in the Compendium of Medicating Ingredients Brochures. The licensee may manufacture and floor stock feeds medicated with veterinary prescription drugs in compliance with the Compendium of Medicating Ingredients Brochures.
Upon the written order (prescription) of a registered veterinarian, the licensee can manufacture feeds medicated with an ingredient that does not follow the Compendium of Medicating Ingredients Brochures. Upon the written order (prescription) of a registered veterinarian, the licensee can sell medicated feed containing a veterinary prescription drug.
The annual fee is $55.00 and expires on March 31st each year. The licensee is required to record all drug purchases in the Veterinary Drug Purchase Register. This must be kept up-to-date as each batch of drugs are purchased. The original copy of the Veterinary Drug Purchase Register must be forwarded to the Chief Veterinarian before February 28th each year to cover all veterinary drug purchases for the previous calendar year.
Veterinary drug licence application
This licence authorizes the licensee to sell the veterinary drugs listed in Schedule A, Table 2. Licences may be limited to certain products, in which case it is specified on the licence (i.e., hatcheries may only sell poultry products).
The annual fee is $55.00 and expires on March 31st of each year. The licensee is required to record all veterinary drugs, including biologicals, in the Veterinary Drug Purchase Register as they are received. The original copy of the Veterinary Drug Purchase Register must be forwarded to the Chief Veterinarian before February 28th each year to cover all veterinary drugs, including biologicals, purchased for the previous calendar year.
- Veterinary Drug Licence Application (PDF)
- Schedule A, Table II (PDF)
- Send Drug Purchase Record to the Chief Veterinarian
Veterinary drug dispenser licence application
This licence is only issued to a person after they have successfully passed the written exam. The exam covers the properties, use and abuse of veterinary drugs and related information. Every Medicated Feed Licensee or Veterinary Drug Licensee must have a Veterinary Drug Dispenser present at all times at the premises
- when and where medicated feeds are being manufactured, or
- when open for business for the sale of veterinary drugs
The Veterinary Drug Dispenser Licence is normally valid for five years ($12.00 fee), and must then be renewed by re-examination. Re-examination may be required for any licensee at any time at the request of the provincial Chief Veterinarian.
This means that businesses that have a Medicated Feed Licence or a Veterinary Drug Licence must have a person holding a current Veterinary Drug Dispenser Licence on the premises during the manufacture of medicated feeds or for the sale of veterinary drugs on the premises during working hours.
Under the Veterinary Drug and Medicated Feed Regulation of B.C., no manufacturer, wholesaler, or their agents, can sell to a licensee a veterinary drug not listed in the C.M.I.B. or Schedule A, Table2. Also, no manufacturer, wholesaler, or their agents can sell any veterinary drug directly to a farmer or anyone else who is not licenced under the Veterinary Drug legislation. It is illegal for drugs to be transported in B.C. except for delivery to a properly licenced outlet, veterinarian, pharmacist, manufacturer or wholesaler. Farmers may transport or have delivered, drugs purchased by them from a B.C. licenced veterinary drug retail outlet, veterinarian or pharmacist to their farm for their own use.
These regulations do not affect the sale of veterinary drugs by pharmacists or registered veterinarians.