Navigating Treatment Options: Understanding the Veterinary Cascade
This provision is in place to ensure that animals receive appropriate treatment when authorised medicines are not available or suitable for their condition. The Veterinary Cascade is an important tool that allows veterinarians to exercise their professional judgment and provide the best care for their patients. Under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2005, veterinary surgeons are only permitted to prescribe authorised veterinary medicines. These authorised medicines have undergone rigorous testing and evaluation to ensure their safety and efficacy. However, there are situations where these authorised medicines may not be available or suitable for a particular animal's condition. In such cases, the Veterinary Cascade comes into play. The Cascade provides a framework through which veterinarians can access unauthorised veterinary medicines as an alternative treatment option. It allows veterinarians to use their professional judgment and prescribe these unauthorised medicines when