When Rover or Tiddles feel under the weather their owners can now nip into a Black Country chemist for a pet pick-me-up.

Jubilee Pharmacy in Wednesbury has become one of the first in the area to sell animal medicines over the counter.

Former veterinary nurse Anita Wedge had to give up practising as she had an allergy to animals and she now offers the service from the chemist on Upper Russell Street.

The 42-year-old said today she appreciated there could be problems with staff handing over medicine without knowing about animal conditions.

But her veterinary experience meant she was ideally placed to do so.

“I have 24 years’ experience so I know what I’m looking for,” she said.

“It could be difficult for untrained staff who have no experience of animal conditions and I think that is why a lot of pharmacies have not bothered taking up the option.

“There are training procedures in place which means you must be a specially qualified person to sell the medicines.”

She added that the move meant pet owners could now buy products and treatments at a more competitive price as something like a flea treatment would be several pounds cheaper if bought from a pharmacy rather than a vet.

A new law passed by the Veterinary Medicine Directorate has reclassed medicines which means some can now be sold over the counter.

This has been done to help make the market more competitive.

In 2005 the Office of Fair Trading ruled that vets should lose their monopoly on the sale of a number of animal medicines, paving the way for other retailers, including pharmacies, to sell them.

The Co-operative Pharmacy was the first UK-wide pharmacy chain to begin selling these products.

By Rebecca Jones