The current drug rule in India requires only a registered pharmacist to dispense veterinary drugs and vaccines from a stationary pharmacy. In many remote rural areas in India, the number of such pharmacies keeping veterinary products is minimal. Moreover, it is impractical to expect repeat visits of veterinary personnel to a farmer's place to administer drugs and vaccines once a farmer collects the medicine/vaccines from a pharmacy. This impracticality forces veterinary personnel to do doorstep dispensing even though the law does not permit the same.

In veterinary practice, the herd health approach is more relevant. Treatment is often for target animals on a farm or local area/ village. As per current rules, there is no provision/guideline for veterinarians to issue herd-level prescriptions. Instead, the law requires field personnel or a farmer to maintain a copy of the veterinarian's prescription for each animal.

The provision under 'schedule k' of the drug control act permits various categories of human health workers working under the National Health Mission (NHM) to dispe