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AgVetLink June 2003

SPECIAL ISSUE FOR VETERINARIANS

Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act

The passing of the ACVM Act (Transitional Provisions) Regulations on 1 July 2002 means that the ACVM Act is now fully in force.

The ACVM Act is a much more modern piece of legislation than the Animal Remedies Act and provides a range of product management options – from exempting products from the requirement for registration through to registration and prohibition if needed. However, one of the impacts of the more ‘enabling’ legislation is that the ACVM environment becomes more complicated with a number of grey areas for veterinarians.

Recent compliance incidents and public consultation in such areas as prescription animal remedy (PAR) policy have highlighted the need to clarify this new environment for veterinarians. There seems to be significant misunderstanding of the legislation, the way it is implemented, and what it means for veterinarians.

We hope this special issue of AgVetLink will help to answer your questions about a veterinarian’s responsibilities, clear up the misconceptions and give you a better understanding of how the ACVM Act affects you.

Debbie Morris Director, ACVM Group

AgVetLink is provided free of charge. To be added to the mailing list, send your contact details to Gill Wilson (address below). AgVetLink is also available on the ACVM website (www.nzfsa.govt.nz/acvm).