Livestock producers who don’t have a regular veterinarian may want to get one before December so they can retain access to livestock antibiotics.
As of Dec. 1, a veterinary prescription will be needed to obtain any.
A move toward this scenario has been in the works for several years as Health Canada moves to address concerns about antibiotic resistant bacteria that can affect human health as well as livestock health.
“Producers who do not regularly work with a veterinarian are encouraged to seek out the services of a veterinarian who can meet their needs,” advises the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
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The change means a cow-calf producer can no longer buy a bottle of penicillin or other antibiotic to treat common ailments such as foot rot or pink eye unless they have a valid prescription.
Similarly, feed mills will sell certain medicated feeds only if the buyer has a prescription, and those same feed suppliers will not be allowed to sell antibiotics direct to customers.
The regulations affect injectable products as well as some boluses, calf scour treatments, in-feed and water antibiotics and implants that contain medically important antimicrobials.
The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) and Alberta Beef Producers have prepared a list of cattle products for which a prescription will be required. They include drugs in all categories, from the top category — those of very high importance to human medicine — through to the fourth category — those of low importance and not currently used for humans.
The lists for categories two and three affect the highest number of potential treatments for livestock.
The list can be found at www.beefreserach.ca/AMR.
Jean Szkotnicki, president of the Canadian Animal Heath Institute, said the prescription requirement brings Canada into alignment with other developed countries.
Health Canada sets those rules, but distribution regulations are provincial and some of those details remain to be determined, depending on the province, she said.
Asked about the potential for price increases as a result of the change, Szkotnicki said she would expect most veterinarians to maintain current price levels or increase them only slightly.
“We’re probably going to have a little bit of … price increasing and maintaining of current pricing,” she said.
“Veterinarians themselves are pretty competitive. We’re going to see some changes in pricing strategy, but I would tend to think that we’re going to see veterinarians be very cost competitive, and the nature of producers will support that as well.”
Some concerns have been expressed over producer access to veterinarians if they live far from the closest veterinary practice. In such cases, producers will have to establish a relationship with a veterinarian at some point.
