Welcome to the BSAVA Guide to the Use of Veterinary Medicines. We hope that these pages will provide a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the safe and legal use of veterinary medicines in companion animals in the UK, for all members of the veterinary team. The editors are very grateful to the various experts in their respective fields who have contributed to the BSAVA Guide to the Use of Veterinary Medicines.

NOAH, RCVS, BVA and the VMD all maintain websites and publish literature relevant to veterinary medicines. The editors would encourage you to make use of these and other sources of information on veterinary medicines, just as we have done.

Everyone who uses veterinary medicines has a legal and moral responsibility to use them appropriately. Many infringements of the law relating to the possession, use and disposal of veterinary medicines are criminal offences and we hope that this guide will help practitioners stay on the correct side of the law in an area where this can sometimes be problematic.

Fred Nind
Pam Mosedale

January 2009