Producers are encouraged to establish a veterinary-client relationship, which will be required to obtain antibiotics
A large number of Alberta livestock producers do not have a regular veterinarian, and that could cause them problems later if they need medications or treatments.
Under new federal antibiotic-dispensing rules that take effect Dec. 1, producers will need to have a valid veterinary-client relationship. Common over-the-counter antibiotics will now require a veterinary prescription and may be difficult to obtain without a vet-client agreement. These rules also apply to feed mills preparing medicated feeds.
“With these rule changes, no matter where you are in Canada, over-the-counter sales of medically important antibiotics are going to stop at the end of this month. Starting Dec.1, you will need a veterinary prescription to buy medically important antibiotics for livestock,” said Reynold Bergen of the Beef Cattle Research Council.
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Dispensing rules vary among the provinces as to who may provide antibiotics, he said in a webinar Nov. 14.
All medically important antimicrobials currently used in feed, water, boluses or injectables will be moving to Health Canada’s prescription drug list (PDL).
Dewormers and ionophores are not used to treat infections in humans so they will still be available over the retail counter.
These changes affect commercial mills preparing feed mixes, said Melissa Dumont, executive director of the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada.
The feed industry is regulated under the federal Feeds Act and Health of Animals Act with oversight from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which inspects mills at least once a year.
Most in-feed antimicrobials were available over the counter but next month commercial feed mills will require a veterinarian’s prescription before they can manufacture the products.
Provincial rules vary for producers who mix their own feeds. A prescription is still required but Dumont advises producers to check with local veterinarians and feed mills about the new rules.
“Make sure you are aware. Have a conversation with your veterinarian or have a conversation with your feed mill or nutritionist to make sure if you need products you know exactly where to access them,” she said.
In addition, mills will not be allowed to carry medicated feed in inventory. Retail outlets are no longer allowed to floor stock any of these products.
Feeds containing off label medications, such as those approved for another species or at a higher than recommended dosage, require a veterinary prescription before feed can be manufactured and no inventory stocking is allowed.
Health Canada and the CFIA have certain requirements about what must be on feed prescriptions and because many veterinarians have never written these prescriptions in the past, information could be missing. This could hold up filling an order.
Producers are advised to know which antibiotics are being used on their farms. If medicated feed is used, they should know what is in it and whether it came from a retail outlet or a feed mill.
Producers should be aware of where commercial feed mills are located and who can sell products. ANAC plans to have a public list on its website by Dec. 1 at www.anac.org.
Producers must also have a valid veterinary-client-patient relationship so access to products is possible, said veterinarian Cody Creelman, who practices in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
For producers currently using a veterinarian, the relationship likely exists.
“If you are not working with a vet clinic, that is where things are going to be a bit difficult,” he said.
“In Alberta, about 40 percent of producers do not have a working relationship with a veterinarian,” he said.
This does not likely represent the majority of the livestock population, however.
There are circumstances where people managed without a vet and were able to buy medications over the counter or shared with others.
Veterinarians must be in compliance with the new rules and could get audited by their professional association.
The practitioner needs supporting evidence and medical records to show a relationship exists to write a prescription and show products have been dispensed appropriately.
Setting up with a veterinarian is similar to visiting a family physician. The vet documents the herd health history and from there the vet has the ability to decide whether a prescription is appropriate. The producer is still allowed to administer treatments.
Creelman said this creates a greater workload for veterinarians and they want to streamline the process for everyone through this transition period.
Creelman warned there may be price increases.
Farm stores possessed buying power because they were buying in volume and could get the drugs cheaper. A single vet lacks that ability.
Producers may have to pay more for a product, but they may also see an improvement in the bottom line with more vet visits providing treatments and education.
Access to products and vets varies by province.
Producers can fill prescriptions at any clinic or pharmacy they want in Alberta and Saskatchewan but the Ontario Veterinary Association decided the medications must be purchased from the prescribing practitioner except in the case of emergency.
“One of the biggest challenges will be being proactive. It has been relatively easy for people to fall into the ‘go out and purchase it when I need it’ mentality without any planning or proaction on their part,” he said.
Producers need to form the relationship now so everything is prepared before they need a product for a serious situation.
“There is going to need to be some planning to make sure everything goes smoothly,” he said.
