A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). If you require further information, regarding this report, call the Elora Resource Centre at 519-846-0941. Office hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA website: www.ontario.ca/omafra.
ANTIMICROBIAL USE AND RESISTANCE – CHANGE IS COMING
Increasing antimicrobial resistance is a global concern and its effects on human and animal health have been raised by experts at local, national and international levels.
The Government of Canada is working in partnership with provinces, territories and industry to help control antimicrobial resistance and promote improved antimicrobial stewardship in both humans and animals. Health Canada has announced how it is taking action to help reduce the use of antimicrobials in animals and enhance veterinary oversight.
By Dec. 1, a veterinary prescription will be required for the purchase of antimicrobials that are important to human medicine.
This means that Ontario producers will no longer be able to purchase such products at Livestock Medicines Outlets. It will be important to work with a veterinarian to purchase these products.
Antimicrobials in mixed feed will still be available at feed mills and will also require a prescription. Producers should discuss delivery options with their veterinarian if there are concerns about geographical distance to a veterinary office or obtaining products for timely treatment.
Products containing the following active ingredients will require a prescription (subject to change):
– Apramycin;
– Bacitracin;
– Erythromycin;
– Lincomycin;
– Neomycin;
– Penicillin G;
– Spectinomycin;
– Streptomycin/Dihydrostreptomycin;
– Sulphonamides;
– Tetracycline/Chlortetracycline/Oxytetracycline;
– Tilmicosin;
– Tiamulin;
– Tylosin/Tylvalosin;
– Virginiamycin;
– or their salts or derivatives.
Ionophore products and coccidiostats will not be affected by this change.
As of November 2017, approvals and access to low-risk veterinary health products such as “nutraceuticals” has been improved to give producers greater access to a broader range of products for animal health.
Also since November 2017, importation of antimicrobials that are important to human medicine for producers’ own use is no longer permitted.
National producer organizations have been consulted on products that are exempted, but no products containing antimicrobials are eligible for exemption.
By May 2018, only those with a Canadian Food Inspection Agency Drug Establishment License (DEL) will be able to import active pharmaceutical ingredients. Producers will otherwise no longer be able to import these ingredients to mix on farm.
Beginning with the 2018 sales year, reporting of veterinary antimicrobial sales will be mandatory for manufacturers, importers and compounders of veterinary antimicrobials.
By December 2018, growth promotion claims will be removed from the labels of veterinary products containing antimicrobials that are important to human medicine.
For more information about changes to federal policy and the regulations related to antimicrobial use and resistanc visit the Government of Canada’s response to antimicrobial resistance at bit.ly/2BTHRhY.
To review OMAFRA’s approach to complement federal changes to address antimicrobial resistance, visit Antimicrobial Resistance in Agriculture at bit.ly/2CnCxVh or comment on proposed regulatory changes at bit.ly/2oviU4S that align with the federal changes.
For more information contact the AICC at 1-877-424-1300 or ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca.
