2TS

Veterinary medicines

We all need to be responsible for animal medicines on farm so, to keep it straightforward, here is a quick summary of what you need to know.

It is ultimately the farmer's responsibility to ensure that animal medicines are used in a safe and effective way.
By law, you need to keep a full record of all medicines you buy and use to treat food- producing animals for a minimum of five years - regardless of the medicines' distribution category and including those administered by your veterinary surgeon or in feed.

At the time you acquire the medicine your record must show:

name of the product
the batch number
date of acquisition
quantity acquired
name and address of the supplier

At the time you administer the medicine, you must update your record with:

name of the product
the date of administration
quantity administered
withdrawal period
identification of the animals treated

Remember to follow the manufacturer’s advice on storage, and if you have unused or out-of-date medicines and containers when you finish the treatment, dispose of them safely.
If in doubt, ask your veterinary surgeon or whoever supplied the product.

Finally, think about ways to minimise medicine use in the first place. Adequate training and good recording systems provide a framework for identifying disease problems and taking the necessary action on farm.

Staff working directly with animals should be trained to identify health problems early and in the use of veterinary medicines.

Prescription only Medicines Veterinarian (POM-V)

A veterinary medicinal product classified as a POM-V may only be supplied once it has been prescribed by a veterinary surgeon following a clinical assessment of the animal(s). POM-V products may only be supplied by
veterinary surgeons and pharmacists.

Prescription Only Medicines (POM)

A product classified as POM may be prescribed by a registered veterinary surgeon, pharmacist or suitably qualified person (SQP). An SQP is trained and registered to sell veterinary products and often works from an agricultural merchant.

For more information on the VMD Code of Practice go to: http://www.vmd.gov.uk/General/VMR/RUCOP.pdf.

Vaccination guidelines
The RUMA (The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture) Alliance has issued new guidelines on the responsible use of vaccines and vaccination in farm animals - download here