Comments OPINION although the IVNP would work autonomously without VS oversight in some instances, there would still be areas within the role where close collaboration with the VS would be necessary.
Allowing RVNs to expand into this role, which would enable them to diagnose minor ailments and prescribe medications, would help improve practice efficiency. It would reduce consultation bottlenecks by freeing the time of VSs so they could see more complex and severe cases, and allow patients to be seen quickly without compromising animal welfare. This expansion of the VN role would also allow career progression for VNs and increase job satisfaction. By using care frameworks, and working in close conjunction with the VS, coupled with formal training, the necessary safeguards for animal welfare would be in place.
How VNPs could improve holistic care and animal welfare
VNs already work under a nursing care model that differs from the VS ' s model. VNs work within a framework of holistic care, meaning they aim to treat the animal as a whole, which promotes animal welfare. Meanwhile, the VS works under the medical model, which operates under pathophysiology and focuses on the condition and biological function rather than the whole patient. This is not to say that VSs do not consider the entire patient, but rather is intended to point out how the VN and VS models differ.
Granting prescribing rights to RVNs has the potential to enhance the holistic approach that is already integral to their practice. As an example, a patient with arthritis is likely to be diagnosed by a VS, who would offer forms of analgesia to alleviate the clinical signs. However, if an IVNP role were introduced in practice, the IVNP is likely to have more time to explore the patient ' s overall health issues. The IVNP could prescribe hydrotherapy or physiotherapy, change and adjust medications, make dietary suggestions and advise on home adaptations, not only ensuring that the physical condition is being treated but also helping to improve the patient ' s quality of life. Allowing the IVNP to manage chronic conditions and have prescribing capabilities in this way could improve both practice efficiency and patient care.
Moreover, introducing a VNP role may allow the profession to implement more preventative medicine. VNs already take an active role in preventative care, such as in weight clinics, clinics for senior patients, 6-monthly health checks and certain vaccinations. In doing so, they are already improving animal welfare and client satisfaction. If RVNs had prescribing power, this could further improve preventative care. With this extra responsibility, RVNs could prescribe vaccination boosters( provided the patient was not a puppy, a kitten or a new client), prescribe antiparasitic treatments and, potentially, identify chronic diseases such as arthritis. Although the IVNP would not diagnose such a condition, having the ability to prescribe, if the owner advised the VNP that the animal was becoming stiffer, could allow the IVNP to prescribe analgesia and then refer to a VS for follow-up diagnostic investigations.
This would support patient care by ensuring the patient remained pain-free until a VS was available to conduct further investigations. Through a more active role in preventative medicine, the RVN could also aid in the early identification and reduction of preventable conditions. This proactive approach aligns with the core principles of animal welfare, promoting consistent, highquality care regardless of the practice workload.
Giving RVNs the authority to prescribe within defined frameworks, together with their expertise in patient advocacy and holistic care, could improve overall patient care and preventative care. Such a remit would allow RVNs to step in sooner when a condition is less severe, helping to reduce patient suffering and the need for more invasive treatments. It would allow the profession to refine the basics, prevent unnecessary suffering, reduce complications and improve animal welfare.
Differences between SQPs and VNPs
SQPs play a vital role in farm animal and equine medicine, but less so in small animal practice as most medicines used in small animals are designated POM-V rather than POM-VPS( prescription-only medicines that can be prescribed by VSs, pharmacists and SQPs). The SQP role is mainly applied to herd management and preventative healthcare, rather than clinical decision-making.
If a VNP role was introduced, this would help bridge the gap between farm / equine and small animal medicine, and enable career progression for RVNs, not only in small animal medicine but across the profession. A VNP role would allow RVNs to take a more proactive approach in farm animal and equine work, allowing clinical monitoring and helping the VS manage common farm animal illnesses such as mastitis and lameness, as well as clinical follow-ups.
The SQP role tends to be more focused on individualised medication, retail aspects and the supply of medication, whereas a VNP would focus more on prescribing, treatment and follow-up care, with a more in-depth clinical and holistic approach. An IVNP would also be able to prescribe a wider range of medications such as those designated POM-V and POM-VPS, resulting in a more comprehensive care offering.
A VNP would be more involved in care, reassessments and welfare assessments than an SQP, and would prescribe as necessary( within a care framework or VS care plan), offering a collaborative and comprehensive approach within the veterinary team, without displacing the role of an SQP.
Volume 40( 5) • October 2025
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