Analysis of the Development Prospects of Veterinary Drug Trading Enterprises
As the scale of farms increases, the proportion of self-purchased drugs grows larger and larger. Veterinary drug trading enterprises mainly serve small farms, and business was fairly brisk a few years ago. In recent years, large-scale livestock and poultry farming has developed rapidly, and large-scale farms purchase veterinary drugs directly from veterinary drug manufacturers, seriously affecting the business of veterinary drug trading enterprises.
The state implements a management system for veterinary prescription drugs, and the sale of prescription drugs is restricted. According to the provisions of the Measures for the Administration of Veterinary Prescription Drugs and Non-prescription Drugs, veterinary prescription drugs may be bought and sold only against a veterinary prescription form, and the veterinary prescription form is issued by a legally registered practicing veterinarian in accordance with the scope of practice for which he or she is registered.
Development Prospects of Veterinary Drug Trading Enterprises
Article 40 of the revised Measures for the Administration of Practicing Veterinarians stipulates: “Veterinary personnel employed by animal farms (breeding communities), laboratory animal breeding units, veterinary drug manufacturers, zoos and other units who have obtained the practicing veterinarian qualification certificate and the practicing assistant veterinarian qualification certificate may apply for veterinary practice registration or filing on the strength of their employment contract, but may not engage in veterinary practice activities externally.”
According to the above provisions, practicing veterinarians cannot register with veterinary drug trading enterprises. If a farm has a practicing veterinarian, it can purchase veterinary prescription drugs directly from veterinary drug manufacturers; if it goes to an animal diagnosis and treatment institution to have a practicing veterinarian write a prescription, it will purchase the drugs directly at the animal diagnosis and treatment institution. Under the existing policies, veterinary drug trading enterprises face great difficulties in selling veterinary prescription drugs. If a veterinary drug trading enterprise sells prescription drugs without a veterinary prescription, then once livestock or poultry die, production declines or other problems occur at the farm, the veterinary drug trading enterprise will be held responsible for illegally selling veterinary prescription drugs.
Being disconnected from the diagnosis and treatment of livestock and poultry diseases makes it hard to survive on selling drugs alone. Veterinary drug sales are inseparable from animal diagnosis and treatment; if livestock and poultry diseases cannot be diagnosed, veterinary drug sales are directly affected. If the technical personnel of a veterinary drug trading enterprise diagnose livestock and poultry diseases for a farm, then once livestock or poultry die, they will be held responsible for illegal medical practice.
Development Prospects and Directions of Veterinary Drug Trading Enterprises
Transforming into village veterinarians. For enterprises engaged in veterinary drug trading in villages and towns, the operators can register as village veterinarians, set up village veterinarian studios, and change their original veterinary drug shops into village veterinary pharmacies. The threshold for village veterinarians is not high; they can both engage in animal diagnosis and treatment and, based on the diagnosis and treatment situation, sell veterinary prescription drugs listed in the Catalogue of Basic Drugs for Village Veterinarians (this catalogue includes about 80% of veterinary prescription drugs, which is fully sufficient for the diagnosis and treatment activities of village veterinarians).
⟦NL> Transforming into animal diagnosis and treatment institutions. Veterinary drug trading enterprises in urban areas can hire practicing veterinarians and transform into animal diagnosis and treatment institutions, changing their original veterinary drug shops into the pharmacies of animal diagnosis and treatment institutions, having their own practicing veterinarians diagnose livestock and poultry diseases, write veterinary prescriptions, and legally sell veterinary prescription drugs,
Acting as regional agents for large veterinary drug manufacturers. Veterinary drug trading enterprises can establish closer ties with veterinary drug manufacturers, serving as their regional service centers to promptly deliver relevant veterinary drugs to their designated farms and provide related services. This is similar to the after-sales service centers that large home appliance enterprises establish by relying on local home appliance repair and installation units. In the past, veterinary drug manufacturers hired large numbers of technical personnel to provide itinerant services to large-scale farms, formulate livestock and poultry disease prevention and control plans for the farms, and take the opportunity to promote their own products. With the maturation and popularization of internet technology, veterinary drug manufacturers can establish online livestock and poultry diagnosis centers; farms can record the disease conditions of their livestock and poultry on video and send it to the diagnosis center via the internet. The diagnosis center organizes experts for consultation, proposes treatment plans, and notifies the regional service center to deliver the needed veterinary drugs to the farm.