Prescribing medication to Farm Animals
For the past few years clients may have come in for medications and we would have checked that we had visited your property within the past 12 months. The legal requirements of prescribing medications is stated under these relevant legislations;
Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Queensland) Act 1994
Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996
Chemical Usage (Agricultural and Veterinary) Control Act 1988, Regulation 1999
Veterinary Surgeons Act 1936, Regulation 2002
Animal Care and Protection Act 2001, Regulation 2002
The veterinary industry is constantly being scrutinised for their use of medications in animals. As such, we have been having to insist that we can not prescribe you prescription medications if we have not been on your property in the past 12 months. The reason for this is that in order to prescribe medications, the animals must be under direct care of the veterinarian. In production animals, this means that the herd/flock must have been seen recently enough for the veterinarian to have confidence that they have personal knowledge of the herd/flock status.
To help reduce the need to have a visit for animals with a simple condition, such as footrot, that we can prescribe the medication for, we can arrange a property visit with one of our vets at a reduced cost and try to arrange a number of properties at the same time to reduce mileage also. On this property visit, we will observe animals, record PIC number, update contact details and other information to create a valid relationship for fulfilling dispensing requirements.
We understand these legislative requirements can sometimes be inconvenient however, we are obliged to follow them in order to maintain our veterinary registration and be able to practice veterinary medicine. If you require further information regarding this, please call the clinic on 07 46932233 to discuss any issues.
Kind Regards
Dr Megan Smith BVSc
Call Us Today To Discuss Your Animal Needs
Business Hours Phone: 07 4693 2233
