{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/medicines-exemptions-for-merchants-in-veterinary-drugs-order-1998/note",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/medicines-exemptions-for-merchants-in-veterinary-drugs-order-1998/note.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1998/1044",
  "legislation_title": "The Medicines (Exemptions for Merchants in Veterinary Drugs) Order 1998",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/medicines-exemptions-for-merchants-in-veterinary-drugs-order-1998",
  "path": "note",
  "kind": "note",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Explanatory note",
  "text": "(This note is not part of the Order)\nThis Order revokes and replaces, with amendments, the Medicines (Veterinary Drugs) (Pharmacy and Merchants' List) Order 1992 (“the 1992 Order”), as amended.\nThe Order continues the exemption from section 52 of the Medicines Act 1968 (“the Act”) for retail sales of veterinary drugs by agricultural merchants, saddlers and authorisation holders subject to conditions relating to registration (for agricultural merchants and saddlers) and sale. The main changes are that this Order applies to retail sales of veterinary drugs whose names and authorisation numbers are on a list kept by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (article 3), which will be open to inspection at the office of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 3NB and copies of which will be made publicly available and published in a regular bulletin. In addition to horse wormers, saddlers are permitted to sell cat and dog wormers, and they and agricultural merchants may sell such products to persons who keep cats and dogs otherwise than for business purposes (article 4 and 6(2)(f)). Fees in respect of registration of agricultural merchants and saddlers are fees of such amounts as the appropriate Ministers may with the consent of the Treasury determine from time to time (article 2(1) and 5(2) to (4)). After 30th December 1998, the requirement in relation to Certificates of Competence will apply to all types of sheep dip (article 6(3)(b) and 7(2)(f)). There is now no exemption for pharmacists from section 52(c) of the Act (which requires retail sales of medicines to which the section applies to be by or under the supervision of a pharmacist) in relation to veterinary drugs to which this Order applies.\nThe Order also implements Article 50b.2 of Council Directive 81/851/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to veterinary medicinal products (OJ No. L317, 6.11.81, p.1), which sets out provisions for record keeping by retailers of those products (article 8).\nA Regulatory Appraisal has been prepared and a copy has been placed in the library of each House of Parliament. Copies can be obtained from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate at the address above.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/1044/note",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:32:12.207733+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}