What are the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme requirements?
The RCVS Practice Standards Scheme is a voluntary accreditation programme that assesses UK veterinary practices against published module standards covering premises, equipment, medicines, staffing, client care, and clinical governance — practices choose to apply and are assessed by RCVS assessors against the relevant module tier.
What are the controlled drugs register requirements for a veterinary practice?
A veterinary practice must maintain a controlled drugs register for Schedule 2 drugs — a bound, paginated record for each drug with entries made in ink at the time of the transaction, retained for at least two years from the date of the last entry — and must keep Schedule 3 invoices for two years.
What are the clinical governance requirements for a veterinary practice?
There is no single piece of legislation that mandates a specific clinical governance framework for veterinary practices, but the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct requires veterinary surgeons to maintain clinical standards and the PSS Core Standards expect practices to have a named clinical governance lead, a system for recording and reviewing clinical outcomes, and a mechanism for raising and learning from clinical concerns.
What are the veterinary medicines record keeping requirements under the VMD?
The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 (as amended) require veterinary practices to keep records of all veterinary medicinal products received and supplied or administered, including the product name, quantity, batch number, supplier or recipient details, and the date — and these records must be retained for at least five years.
How do I prepare for an RCVS PSS assessment?
An RCVS PSS assessment is an evidence review: the assessor will inspect the premises, examine medicines and CD records, review SOPs and their staff sign off, look at clinical governance records including audit, and speak with staff — the most common shortfalls are gaps in CD reconciliation records and SOPs that exist on paper but are unknown to the team.
What standard operating procedures does a veterinary practice need?
There is no statutory list of mandatory SOP titles for veterinary practices, but RCVS PSS Core Standards and professional guidance expect documented procedures covering controlled drugs management, veterinary medicines dispensing, anaesthesia and sedation, clinical record keeping, infection control, and complaints handling — with evidence that all relevant staff have read and are working to them.