Pharma chief issues health warning

Dublin: The president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, Dr Ann Frankish, has warned that planned animal remedies regulations could pose a threat to human and animal health.

Addressing a conference in Dublin, she said the society would make its concerns about the proposed regulations known to the Departments of Health and Agriculture.

The regulations are required to transpose an EU Council Directive into Irish law by October 30.

The draft allows for a change in the system where currently a vet can only prescribe 31 days’ supply of a medicine for a food-producing animal.

The vet must also diagnose the animal prior to the prescription.

Dr Frankish said under the proposed regulations, a vet may prescribe medicine without any examination. The vet is only required to have attended the flock or herd in the previous year.

The practitioner may also prescribe up to six months’ medication.

Dr Frankish said this raised serious issues for animal and human health.

There are growing difficulties associated with bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics and other therapeutic regimes.

“Inappropriate prescribing and dispensing and the use of such medication and therapeutic regimes are a serious challenge to medical and veterinary practice and threaten human health in a most serious way,” she warned.

IFA Animal Health Committee chairman Michael Flynn said Department of Agriculture proposals to confine prescription writing to vets only for routine management drugs will add an extra €80 million to farmers’ veterinary bills.