VetSkill VTEC Level 4 Award for Animal Medicines Advisors (SQP)

You will complete the following units:

AMA01 – Legislation and Suitably Qualified Person (SQP) Status for the Supply of veterinary Medicines

This unit is designed to provide you with the underpinning knowledge of the duties, responsibilities and scope of the Suitably Qualified Person (SQP). You will gain an understanding of the key legislation governing prescription and supply of veterinary medicines, as well as explore the principles of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) SQP Code of Practice.

You will develop an understanding of the limitations of an SQP, when SQP’s should refer cases to the veterinary surgeon, as well as essential record keeping and the reporting of adverse medicine reactions to the VMD under the Adverse Event/Reaction Reporting system (previously referred to as SARSS, the Suspected Adverse Reaction Surveillance Scheme).

AMAC02 – Companion Animal Health for the Suitably Qualified Persons (SQP)

This unit is designed to provide you with an overview of companion animal anatomy and physiology, via a systems-based approach. The companion animals that should be covered throughout this unit are: dog, cat, ferret and rabbit. You will also cover basic companion animal nutrition and feeding and the principles of health and disease prevention; along with common parasites and diseases, which may affect animals seen by a Suitably Qualified Person (SQP).

You will also develop an understanding of commonly-used anatomical and physiological terminology, to enable you to provide clients with advice on appropriate nutrition and feeding. Devising appropriate disease control programmes and interpreting health plans to assist owners/keepers with disease prevention will also be covered.

AMAC03 – Prescribing and Supplying Veterinary Medicines for Companion Animals 

This practical unit provides you with the opportunity to gain the skills required to safely and appropriately prescribe, supply and dispense veterinary medicines within the scope and limitations of the Suitably Qualified Person (SQP). You will be expected to demonstrate safe and appropriate practice, whilst working within legislative requirements.

Providing species-specific advice and guidance to owners/keepers of companion animals will also be covered. You will be expected to demonstrate proficient use of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) Product Information Database, along with an awareness of how to manage a potential adverse event/reaction.

You will undertake three multiple choice question (MCQ) online exams.

Our online, distance learning courses can be started at any time. You will work through your online course materials at a time that is convenient to you and be supported by a personal tutor.

You must be 16 years of age or over, living in the UK and have basic literacy and numeracy skills. We welcome applications from those who are Registered Veterinary Nurses or laypeople with no prior veterinary-related qualifications.

Employment or work experience within a Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) registered premises, a veterinary practice registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), or a retail pharmacy registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) may be beneficial in assisting in preparation towards the final assessment but is not essential.

If you are a RCVS Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN), you may be exempt from undertaking unit AMAC02 and the associated multiple-choice assessment.

Please note: As our courses include online learning components, students are required to have access to a PC or laptop with a reliable internet connection.

Course Fees
£795

Awarding Body Fees - £174

All students or employers are required to pay the awarding body fees in addition to the course fees. Please note that these are recharged at cost and may be subject to change.

CAW Loans2Learn
Course fees must be paid in full before the course begins. If you are unable to do so, we offer a personal loan scheme (Loans2Learn) that can help you to spread the cost into manageable monthly payments over a period of up to five years, subject to eligibility. It can be used to fully, or partially, cover your course fee (but does not cover any awarding body fees, such as enrolment and examination fees which are payable on top). More information can be found here.

The current rate of interest for a CAW Loans2Learn is 9%. Click on the calculator icon to calculate your monthly repayment options based on different repayment term lengths.

Example repayment - a Loans2Learn loan for the full course fee of £795 over 12 months would equate to monthly repayments of approximately £70 per month (please note this is an indicative price based on current fees and interest rates).

General Advice
Sources of financial help can be found on our student finance page. Before making any financial decision, it is recommended that you seek advice from an independent source, for example the Money Advice Service.

If you have not achieved your qualification by the planned end date detailed in your individual learning plan, continued support and course access is available by paying monthly direct debit payments, or applying for a supplementary or increased loan, until certification is achieved.

These are current figures and may be subject to change. The differences in course fees reflect the level of funding that is available as a result of government policies and priorities. These may be as a result of age, employment status, previous education achievements, or location for example, and are outside the control of The College of Animal Welfare.

Completion of this qualification you will gain you entry onto the VetSkill SQP register allowing you to legally prescribe and supply veterinary medicine classes POM-VPS and/or NFA-VPS to companion animals.

To remain on the register, you will be required to maintain and update your knowledge and skills by undertaking relevant Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Almost all of our students are in a similar situation – balancing work and family around their study. The course material is online for you to work through at a time convenient to you, so there is plenty of time to schedule it around other commitments. Someone people find that doing a little in the evenings works for them, others take a day at the weekend for example.

No, as a private further education provider fees are applicable to all students. We do have a Loans2Learn scheme that can help you to spread the costs of study into manageable monthly payments.

Either! The examinations can be done either at our Huntingdon, Leeds or North London centres, or from your home or place of work via remote exam invigilation.

Yes. Whilst experience working in a Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) registered premises would be beneficial when preparing for assessments, it is not essential.