12 July 2000

Tightening Up on Medication

The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) which represents UK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products have issued the ninth edition of their Code of Practice for the Promotion of Animal Medicines. The code now includes an examination for General Sales List sales staff, run by the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA) and confirms that all company promotional mailing lists should be kept up to date. The code also regulates the contents and quality of advertisements, leaflets and promotional activities for animal medicines. This way, the industry ensures that those involved with using animal medicines, be they veterinary surgeons, animal health distributors, farmers or pet owners, receive the correct information they need about products. Visit the NOAH web site at: NOAH Identity Documents for Horses to be Extended? MAFF and the Welsh Assembly agriculture department have launched a consultation about the implementation of an EU decision to extend the requirements for identity documents for horses. The consultation document has been sent to a wide variety of organisations and individuals in the equine industry seeking their views about the implementation of this measure. The measure applies to the recording in horse identification documents, or "passports", of veterinary medicines which have been administered. All new horse passports issued will contain an additonal section relating to veterinary medicines. The objective of the EU legislation is to prevent horses and horse meat shipped to Europe from entering the food chain if they have received any medicines in the preceding six months when no Maximum Residual Limit (MRL) has been set for the active ingredient. The benefit is that veterinary medicines for which no MRL has been set can continue to be used for horses that are declared as not intended for human consumption.