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Ketamine to become Class B drug
Ketamine
New evidence suggests frequent, high doses of ketamine cause chronic toxicity.
Serious harm caused by misuse, latest review warns

Ketamine is to be become a Class B drug after a report recently highlighted growing evidence of serious physical and psychological harm where the drug is heavily and frequently misused.

Minister for crime prevention Norman Baker confirmed the move following a review by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).

In its first review of the drug since 2004, the council also recommended ketamine be placed in Schedule II of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.

Ketamine is widely used in veterinary medicine as an anaesthetic and analgesic, as well as some areas of human medicine.

According to the ACMD, 120,000 individuals are estimated to have misused ketamine in 2012 to 2013.

The council's latest report details new evidence of chronic toxicity to the bladder resulting in numerous reports of individuals having to have their bladders removed.

In addition to this, for regular high-dose users the drug is believed to cause a range of psychological and physical problems, as well as significant toxicity to the urinary tract and kidneys.

In a letter to ACMD, Mr Baker said: "I accept your recommendation to reclassify ketamine as a Class B drug. I have taken this decision in light of the evidence of chronic harms associated with ketamine use, including chronic bladder and other urinary tract damage highlighted in the Advisory Council's report."

Mr Baker added that parliamentary proceedings to reclassify the drug will begin shortly. A consultation will be held on the rescheduling of ketamine in order to determine the effect this will have on veterinary and healthcare sectors.

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Rabbit Awareness Week set to return this summer

News Story 1
 Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) is returning this summer, running from 24-28 June 2024. The theme for this year will be 'Healthy Diet, Happy Bunnies'.

The focus on rabbits' diet comes after the most recent PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report report revealed that 42 per cent of veterinary professionals identified inappropriate diet as one of the five most important rabbit welfare issues that need to be address.

The campaign will include veterinary blogs, videos, and digital waiting room resources. Practices can sign up to receive updates about RAW. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
CVS Group hit by cyber attack

CVS Group, which owns more than 450 veterinary practices in the UK, has been hit by a cyber attack.

In a statement, the group said the incident involved unauthorised external access to a limited number of its IT systems. As soon as the attack was discovered, the group took its IT systems temporarily offline, causing 'considerable operational disruption'.

It has warned that the security steps taken and ongoing plans to move its operational systems and IT infrastructure to the Cloud are likely to have an ongoing impact over a number of weeks.

Due to the risk that personal information was accessed, CVS has informed the Information Commissioner's Office. The company is working with third party consultants to investigate the incident.