Guide on Safe Use of Animal Medicines Launched by Teagasc

18 June, 2003

A comprehensive guide on the safe use of animal medicines by farmers has been launched by Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority.

Compiled by Tony Pettit, National Food Assurance Specialist with Teagasc, it gives detailed advice on the critical steps which farmers must follow when using medicines in order to avoid food safety, human health and animal welfare risks.

The 24 page guide brings together expertise from key national food safety and medicines regulatory bodies, including the Department of Agriculture and Food, the Food Safety Authority, the Irish Medicines Board and Veterinary Ireland, the representative body for veterinary surgeons.

Tony Pettit said that with close on €100m being spent by farmers on animal medicines each year, the importance of best practice is paramount.

“Irish farmers have a good food safety record in using animal medicines. Continuous monitoring by the Department of Agriculture and Food shows a very low level of residues in milk and meat. But producers must exert constant vigilance,” he said.

Tony Pettit stressed that food safety as well as animal welfare and farmers’ own health can be compromised if livestock medicines or veterinary equipment are misused. The Teagasc guide outlines the important legal requirements governing the authorisation, distribution and use of animal medicines. It also gives a step by step approach to the handling and administering of medicines on the farm. Aspects such as farm and food assurance requirements are also covered.

In a joint foreword to the publication, Dr Patrick Wall, former Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority and Pat O’Mahony, Chief Executive of the Irish Medicines Board, stress the importance to both animal and human health of using antibiotics sparingly and not as a replacement for good husbandry.

“The more antibiotics used on farms the more likely it is that resistance will develop. These resistant germs can be carried with the animals into abattoirs and into the food chain and can infect humans”.

“Because of the risk of germs developing resistance after prolonged exposure to particular antibiotics, the most powerful drugs should be conserved for life threatening illnesses in animals and humans,” they advise.

“Ireland can hold its own, and out-compete, products from other parts of the world. However, demonstrable good practices have become as important as quality to differentiate Irish produce in the market place,” they added.

Safe Use of Livestock Medicines is available from all Teagasc offices and can be downloaded from the website.
Download Safe Use of Livestock Medicines here