What is an SQP?
A Suitably Qualified Person (SQP), also known as a Registered Animal Medicines Advisor (RAMA), is a legal category of professionally qualified animal medicine advisors who, under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations, are entitled to prescribe and supply certain veterinary medicines.
An SQP is a professionally qualified animal medicines advisor who is registered to prescribe and supply POM-VPS and NFA-VPS veterinary medicines for species within their registration category. Completion of a VetSkill SQP Qualification leads to eligibility to join the VetSkill SQP Register, and providing the SQP is qualified, multiple SQP categories can be applied for.
SQPs work in organisations such as veterinary practices, pet shops, agricultural merchants and equine suppliers. View the list of SQP categories, species covered and CPD requirements.
What medicines are SQPs able to prescribe and supply?
The veterinary medicines an SQP is entitled to prescribe and supply depends on the scope of the registration they hold. An SQP must ensure that the statutory requirements regarding the prescription and supply of these medicines are always respected.
This includes advising on the choice of medicine and their safe and effective use, irrespective of how the product is supplied, in accordance with the SQP Code of Practice.
The range of veterinary medicines available to SQPs fall within the following distribution classifications:
NFA-VPS (Non-Food Animal - Veterinarian, Pharmacist, SQP)
NFA-VPS medicines are only for use in non-food animals where they may be used routinely to prevent or limit the effects of endemic disease.
POM-VPS (Prescription Only Medicine - Veterinarian, Pharmacist, SQP)
POM-VPS medicines are mainly authorised for administration to farm animals and horses, and are used to reduce or prevent effects of endemic disease in herds, flocks or individual animals.
AVM-GSL (Authorised Veterinary Medicines General Sales List - Veterinarian, Pharmacist, SQP)
There are no legal restrictions on the retail supply of veterinary medicines classified as AVM-GSL, also known as ‘over the counter’ medicine.
More details on which medicines fall into which categories can be found on the VMD’s Product Information Database.
View our SQP fees here.