VetPal co-founded by Roscommon vet shortlisted for major award

A company co-founded by a County Roscommon vet has been shortlisted for a Start-up Innovator of the Year Award in Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena at the National Ploughing Championships.

Nine months after the biggest change to farm medicine rules in a generation, VetPal — the Irish platform that handles veterinary prescriptions for farmers, stores and vets — supports around 85% of Ireland’s licensed merchants and co-op stores.

The company was a finalist in the same award category at last year’s ploughing championships, months before the rules took effect.

VetPal was founded by Alan Gormley MVB, a practising veterinary surgeon, with co-founder Colm Murphy, and is built and run in Ireland.

“I’ve prescribed as a vet, I’ve bought as a farmer, and I’ve stood at the store counter,” Alan said.

A qualified vet for over ten years and from a farming background at Derrane, Roscommon, Alan has worked in a mixed-animal practice, mainly cattle, sheep and horses.

He moved home over the past few years and has been doing locum work in local practices while developing VetPal, a platform that connects farmers, farm stores and co-ops, and vets all in one place.

It came about because of the big legislation change on December 1st, 2025, under which a farmer now needs a prescription to buy doses at their local store or co-op.

“The regulation was always going to land.

“The only question was whether it would work when it was implemented — and VetPal has helped make that compliance a reality,” Alan told the Roscommon Herald.

Since December 1st, 2025 every wormer, fluke dose and pour-on is prescription-only.

Nothing can be handed across the counter without a vet’s prescription, and every script has to be logged with the Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Prescription System first.

“Farmers were left standing at counters with stock penned at home, and stores that had supplied the same families for generations watched their animal health trade fall away.

“VetPal puts the farmer, the store, the vet and the Department’s system on the one platform. Call into your store as normal and staff run a short assessment with you at the counter or open the free app in the yard and send the same few questions to the store of your choice.

“A vet reviews it, usually within hours, and prescribes if a dose is needed. The product is handed over at your own counter, the same as always, and the script goes into your app for inspections and Bord Bia audits,” Alan explained.

“Less product, fewer wasted doses, and worms that still die when you dose them.

“That’s what compliance is supposed to deliver — we just made it possible to do at your own store,” Alan said.

As part of Alan's bid to win the 'Start-up Innovator of the Year' award, he will participate in a live pitching competition at today's National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore.

*The Ploughing Championships run from September 15th to 17th at Screggan.

*The VetPal app is free to download on the App Store or on Google Play.