Better access to pain relief for animals in remote areas seems like something vets would welcome, but they say it could be the final nail in the coffin for their industry.
In August the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) made an interim decision to reschedule a number of veterinary prescription-only products in a move it said would make life easier for livestock producers.
But flying outback vet Campbell Costello said the move was a "kick in the guts" that would undermine the profitability of rural vet practices and was ripe for misuse.
"I am worried and I think we're just going to implode … there's going to be no-one left," he said.
"Someone's dog is going to get sick in somewhere like Longreach and you're going to have to travel to Rockhampton or Brisbane or Townsville to see a vet."
On top of devastating mental health issues, falling wages and crippling student debt, Dr Costello said the future of the veterinary field was bleak.
Vets on the brink
The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has appealed the TGA's interim decision to change the level of two drugs, Lidocaine, marketed as NumOcaine, and Meloxicam, marketed as Buccalgesic, from S4 veterinary prescription-only drugs to higher classifications that can be sold at rural stores.
Susan Swaney, president of the Sheep, Camelid and Goat Vets group within the AVA, said the decision would encourage producers to avoid calling a vet.
"This is just chipping away and reducing how much opportunity we have to engage with farmers," she said.
"In the long term, if you want a veterinary industry to be there and to be knowledgeable, they have to be used.
"It's really a case of use it or lose it."
Dr Costello said clients often assumed vets were more financially stable than they were, but the reality was many were struggling to keep the doors open.
"The public still has a misconception that veterinary bills are high because we get remunerated well, it's just not the case," he said.
"I can't pay my bills with making Fluffy the dog feel better."
According to the AVA, people within the veterinary industry are four times more likely to die by suicide than the general population.
Dr Costello said the TGA's decision was a reflection of a wider problem.
"I think the public and the government has really under appreciated veterinary science for a long time," he said.
"You're telling me a cowboy can just walk in off a station and buy local anaesthetic and anti-inflammatory ... and de-horn and do surgery?
"It's really concerning and it sends a strong message that we just do not care [about the veterinary industry]. We just want to feel valued."
He said with long hours, difficult clients, low remuneration and high student debt levels, the industry was plagued by mental health issues.
"I think we really need to start exploring some options to making veterinary science not a death trap, but an enjoyable profession that people want to stay in," he said.
"We've got a lot of skilled vets but something needs to change to keep them and I believe that it's a profession that's unstoppable if we can get some investment in the sector."
'Use it or lose it'
The change is expected to take effect in February, but in the meantime the AVA will take another opportunity to appeal.
Dr Swaney said as a grazier and vet with 40 years' experience, she was disappointed the industry's position had been dismissed.
"In some of the responses they seem to completely dismiss some of the material that we presented to them and that is quite frustrating," she said.
"The problem is, is this actually for the better good?
"In making it so readily available, are we going to be delivering good animal welfare to more animals, or could we be making this a lot worse for some animals?"
Dr Swaney said while it was essential graziers had access to pain relief products, it could lead to serious animal welfare issues.
"In most circumstances farmers will do it properly," she said.
"Unfortunately it's the ones that don't that are going to create the problems ... and from a veterinary perspective, it means that any control over the use of those products has been taken out of our hands.
"Many vets have seen instances of DIY veterinary treatment by people who aren't vets and it's a really considerable concern for us ... a good understanding of what these drugs actually do is really critical."
High benefit, low risk
A TGA spokesperson said in a statement the overall benefit of increased access to the products outweighed the risks.
"The decision maker was not satisfied that moving these substances out of Schedule 4 would create an unacceptable risk of their unsafe or improper use."
The TGA also said the products concerned would have suitable labelling to minimise risk of misuse or dosing errors.
The statement also said a second round of public submissions would be considered before a final decision was made regarding the rescheduling of the substances, which is expected to be published this month.
In regards to the impact on the veterinary industry, the spokesperson said there was no evidence to suggest the rescheduling would have a negative impact.
