CVS Equine's veterinary teams will be encouraging clients to return any unwanted veterinary medicines
CVS Equine Launches First Nationwide Medicines Amnesty To Support Responsible Medicine Disposal
2 days ago 
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CVS Equine has launched its first-ever Medicines Amnesty, encouraging horse owners across the UK to return unused, part-used and expired veterinary medicines to their local CVS Equine practice for safe and responsible disposal.
The initiative is being rolled out across all CVS Equine practices and is supported by practice leaders, Quality Improvement (QI) Leads and Environment Champions. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of responsible medicines stewardship while helping to protect both animal and environmental health.
While a number of CVS Equine practices have previously supported the annual RUMA Companion Animal & Equine (CA&E) Antibiotic Amnesty campaign, this is the first time the division has coordinated its own dedicated medicines amnesty programme across its network.
Veterinary teams will be encouraging clients to return any unwanted veterinary medicines, although particular emphasis is being placed on antibiotics and equine wormers due to their potential environmental impact if disposed of incorrectly.
Charlotte Sinclair, CVS Equine Veterinary Medical Director, said: "Veterinary medicines play a vital role in protecting the health and welfare of horses, but it is equally important that they are used and disposed of responsibly. Many horse owners may be unaware that unused medicines should not be thrown away in household waste or flushed down sinks and toilets.
"Through this medicines amnesty, we want to make it as easy as possible for clients to return unwanted medications to us so they can be disposed of safely, while also encouraging conversations around responsible medicine use and environmental sustainability."
Incorrect disposal of veterinary medicines can contribute to environmental contamination. Antibiotics entering the environment may contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing global health concern affecting both human and animal health. Evidence also suggests that some commonly used equine wormers can have harmful effects on wildlife and ecosystems, including beneficial insects such as dung beetles and aquatic organisms.[i]
By returning unwanted medicines to their veterinary practice, horse owners can help ensure these products are disposed of through appropriate waste management processes rather than entering the wider environment. The initiative also aims to reduce the risk of medicines being retained and subsequently used inappropriately without veterinary guidance.
As part of the programme, CVS Equine practices will collect and record the weight of medicines returned by clients. The data will help the group better understand the scale of unused medicines held by horse owners and measure the positive impact of the campaign over time.
Charlotte added: "This is about more than collecting unwanted medicines. It is an opportunity to work together with horse owners to improve medicine stewardship, reduce environmental risk and support the long-term effectiveness of important treatments such as antibiotics and wormers."
Veterinary teams will be discussing responsible medicine disposal with clients during routine yard visits and consultations, while practices will also be promoting the initiative through local communications and social media channels.
Horse owners can return unused, part-used or expired veterinary medicines to participating CVS Equine practices for safe disposal.
[i][rumacae.org.uk], [beva.org.uk], [beva.org.uk]
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