RCVS Statutory Membership Examination Veterinary Pharmacy, Prescribing Law & Medicines Regulation: practice questions

1 · Prescription writing · hard

In the UK, a vet writes a prescription for a Schedule 2 opioid for a dog under her care. Which feature is a legal requirement for this prescription but not for an ordinary POM-V prescription?

1. The animal's microchip number written in the margin
2. A countersignature from a second veterinary surgeon
3. The total quantity in words and figures
4. The pharmacist's name entered in advance by the vet

2 · Dispensing · easy

An owner asks whether she can crush an enteric-coated tablet to hide it in food for her dog. What is the correct advice?

1. Yes, provided the powder is mixed into a fatty food
2. No, but it may be split into quarters without any loss of effect
3. Yes; all tablets work the same once they have been crushed
4. No; crushing defeats the protective enteric coating

3 · Dispensing · easy

How many milligrams of drug are there in 1 mL of a 2% w/v solution?

1. 2 mg
2. 0.2 mg
3. 200 mg
4. 20 mg

4 · Dispensing · easy

5 g of a drug is dissolved and made up to 250 mL. What is the strength as % w/v?

1. 0.2%
2. 2%
3. 20%
4. 5%

5 · Withdrawal periods · medium

Under Article 115 of Regulation (EU) 2019/6, a product authorised for cattle with a zero meat withdrawal is used under the cascade in turkeys. What is the minimum meat withdrawal?

1. 1 day
2. 7 days
3. Zero days
4. 28 days

6 · Withdrawal periods · hard

A UK horse's passport has not been signed out of the food chain. The vet wants to treat chronic lameness with phenylbutazone. What is the legal position?

1. Not allowed: phenylbutazone has no MRL and the horse is in the food chain
2. It may be given because horses are never classed as food-producing animals
3. It may be given with a 6-month withdrawal as an essential substance
4. It may be given with a standard 28-day meat withdrawal under the cascade

7 · Pharmacovigilance and adverse-event reporting · hard

Milk from a cow tests positive for residues above the MRL even though the farmer observed the label withdrawal period exactly. How should this be treated?

1. As the farmer's fault, so no report to the regulator is needed
2. As an adverse event suggesting the label withdrawal is too short
3. As normal biological variation that needs no further action
4. As a laboratory error, so the positive result can safely be ignored

8 · Pharmacovigilance and adverse-event reporting · hard

Who has a legal obligation to collect, record and report adverse events for a veterinary medicine in the EU and GB?

1. The wholesaler that supplied the practice
2. Only the animal's owner or keeper
3. Only the prescribing veterinary surgeon
4. The marketing authorisation holder

9 · Controlled drugs · medium

Under the UK Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973, which of these veterinary drugs must be kept in a locked controlled-drug cabinet?

1. Buprenorphine
2. Furosemide
3. Meloxicam
4. Amoxicillin

10 · Record keeping · easy

Under EU rules, keepers of food-producing animals must keep records of medicines bought and given. For how long at minimum?

1. 6 months
2. 2 years
3. Until the animal is slaughtered
4. 5 years