FOI2026/00475 – List of generic email addresses for MAH
Published 22 May 2026
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Your request
We are working through improving and automating our product defects and customer complaints process. We would like to be able to communicate directly to the MAH RP or Quality contact rather than the supply chain or customer services team at the MAH. Do the VMD have a list of generic email addresses for the MAH’s that can be shared?
Our reply
After careful consideration, we are withholding the information you requested.
We do maintain operational contact details for Marketing Authorisation Holders (MAHs), but these are held for regulatory purposes and are not intended for wider dissemination. We do not hold a list of generic email addresses in the format you describe for the purpose of external operational communication.
We are applying Section 43(2) – Commercial Interests, as disclosure of non‑public contact points used by MAHs for regulated communication would be likely to prejudice their commercial interests. These addresses are not generally published, and releasing them could expose MAHs to unsolicited approaches, spam, or interference with their internal business processes.
We are also applying Section 24 – National Security, as providing a consolidated dataset of operational contact points across the veterinary medicines sector would increase the risk of targeted phishing, cyber‑attacks, or other hostile activity. The information is used within a regulated environment and releasing it would undermine the security of both MAHs and the VMD.
Public Interest Test
Factors in support of disclosure: There is a general public interest in supporting effective communication between organisations operating within the veterinary medicines sector. Disclosure might also assist businesses seeking to engage with MAHs in a more streamlined way, contributing to smoother interactions and potentially improving service delivery across the supply chain.
Factors in support of withholding: There is a stronger public interest in protecting the commercial viability and operational integrity of MAHs whose details would be exposed. There is also a significant public interest in safeguarding the security of the veterinary medicines supply chain, including protecting both regulators and regulated organisations from cyber‑security risks.
On balance, the public interest in maintaining the exemptions under Section 43(2) and Section 24 outweighs the public interest in disclosure. For these reasons, the information is withheld.