Schering Plough Animal Health urges responsibility

An expert has warned that ill-informed use of animal medication can fail to treat the patient or worse, cause harm.

Paul Williams, livestock veterinary adviser for Schering Plough Animal Health, made his comments at the 23rd Animal Health Distributors Association (AHDA) annual conference in Warwickshire, Farming UK reported.

Ian Scott, secretary general of AHDA, suggested that the EU’s auditors could turn their attention to the distribution of animal medicine in Britain as it is not the norm for the rest of the continent.

Mr Williams warned that changes could bring new challenges and “greater responsibilities” for drug distributors and veterinarians.

He urged: “It is paramount that those who prescribe do so in an appropriate and responsible manner, including taking into consideration how products will be used and not assuming that customers will read the instructions,” Farming UK noted.

At the same conference, John Fitzgerald, operations director at the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, claimed there has been an increase in complaints about animal drugs delivered through the internet, online resource UKPets reported.