Prescriptions ‘unworkable’

ALL mastitis control programmes must extend over a full year to be effective, and Minister Mary Coughlan’s proposed six-month prescriptions for intramammaries are unworkable, said Dominic Cronin, Chairperson of ICMSA’s Dairy Committee, reacting to clarification of next week’s changes in national legislation.

“The Minister must introduce a regime that will allow farmers and co-ops to continue to operate mastitis control programmes without having to get a prescription every six months”, he said.

He welcomed the clearance for co-ops and other licensed merchants to sell prescription-only medicines, particular intramammaries.

He said ICMSA wants active ingredients specified on prescriptions, allowing the dispensing agent to choose the brand; this would help farmers to avail of the most cost efficient brand.

IFA Animal Health Chairman Michael Flynn welcomed acknowledgment of the role of responsible persons other than vets in issuing prescriptions.

“However, many grey areas remain as to the precise mechanism that will operate after January 1, 2007,” he said.