A farm without a well-stocked medicine cabinet is a farm waiting for a 2 am crisis. Irish regulation (the VMP / VPO rules that tightened from 2022 onwards) changed what you can keep and how you keep it, but the basic working list hasn't changed. Here's what to have, what to keep locked, and where Irish farms actually buy it.
The rules on farm-stocked animal medicines
- POM-VPS & POM-V — most antibiotics, antiparasitics with restrictions, hormonal products. Prescription-only, dispensed through licensed pharmacies, RVMs or LRS merchants with a vet prescription tied to herd number.
- LM (Licensed Merchant) — traditional agri-merchant stock: most pour-ons, wormers in main classes, some antibiotics under specific conditions.
- AVM-GSL / general sale — minerals, boluses, supplements, wound care, teat dips.
- Remedies register — you must keep records of prescription-only products administered on-farm: date, animal ID, product, dose, batch, withdrawal.
The working shelf list
Minerals & supplements
- Magnesium flakes / bolus — grass tetany prevention.
- Copper + iodine + cobalt + selenium bolus — range from Animax, Agrimin, Nettex.
- Calcium bottles — downer cow intervention (IV under vet supervision).
- Salt lick buckets — loose herd mineral backstop.
Parasite control
- White drench (benzimidazoles) — youngstock worming.
- Yellow drench (levamisole) — rotation use.
- Clear drench (macrocyclic lactones) — where appropriate; manage resistance.
- Flukicide — closantel or triclabendazole depending on liver fluke risk and vet advice.
- Pour-on for fly, lice, ticks — pyrethroid or macrocyclic lactone depending on target.
- Injectable long-acting for scab in sheep (vet-prescribed).
Calving & neonatal
- Navel iodine (10% strong iodine), calving ropes, lubricant.
- Colostrum powder (backup), feeder bottle + teat.
- Oesophageal stomach tube — life-saver for weak calves.
- Electrolyte sachets — dehydration & scour support.
- Scour vaccines (Rotavec, Bovilis Rotavec, Scourguard) — prescription.
Mastitis & dry cow
- Pre-dip & post-dip (iodine, chlorhexidine, or formaldehyde-free alternatives).
- Mastitis tubes (lactating & dry) — vet prescription.
- Teat sealant — internal (vet) + external where used.
- California Milk Test (CMT) kit — on-farm SCC check.
Wound & foot care
- Blue spray, purple spray, chlortetracycline aerosol — wound protection.
- Hoof trimming knife + grinder/disc, wood block & glue.
- Footbath chemical — formalin, copper sulphate, or formalin-free alternative.
- Iodine dressing, gauze, cohesive bandage.
Vaccines (vet-prescribed)
- IBR, BVD (where relevant), Leptospirosis.
- Clostridia (blackleg & 10-in-1 variants) — essential for sheep & beef.
- Pasteurella & pneumonia — mainly calves.
- Abortion cover — sheep & cattle programmes.
Storage — the bit that gets missed
- Lockable, labelled medicine store, separate from general farm items.
- Fridge at 2–8 °C for vaccines and biologicals. Thermometer in the fridge, checked.
- Remedies record book kept up to date, not reconstructed from memory at inspection.
- Sharps bin for used needles — disposal through your vet, local pharmacy, or agri waste contractor.
- Expiry-date check every quarter. Out-of-date is worse than empty.
Vaccine cold-chain: a single hour at 20 °C can drop some vaccines' effective titre by half. If you're collecting vaccines in summer, bring a cooler bag with an ice block, not a bag on the tractor seat.
Where Irish farms buy animal health products
| Supplier | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Local vet practice | POM-V products, prescriptions | Always the first call for anything restricted |
| Licensed Merchants (local) | LM-class wormers, boluses, footbath | Fast turnaround, known stock |
| MyAgri, Agristore, Agridirect | Boluses, wormers, minerals, pour-ons | Online, national, strong range |
| Animal Health Ireland resources | Reference, guidance | Not a retailer but essential context |
| Nettex, Agrimin, Animax (brands) | Boluses, supplements | Stocked through multiple channels |
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