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The ACVM Group has developed a policy on advertising trade name product agricultural compounds. Much of the policy is the same as it was under the Animal Remedies and Pesticides Acts. However, some new elements have been added to reflect changes in advertising practices and communication technology.

The policy also reflects changes in the status of products now that some products will be exempt from registration. Even though products are exempt from registration, they must still comply with established advertising practices and not alter the status of the product by presenting it in a manner or making claims that are inconsistent with the registration exemption.

The policy also recognises the fact that parties other than the registrants may be advertising products. These parties must be subject to the same requirements as the registrants to ensure that products are presented in a manner consistent with the conditions of registration or exemption from registration.

The draft policy is available on the ACVM Group's website (www.nzfsa/govt.nz/acvm).

Comments on the draft should be sent by 1 September 2002 to:

Chris Boland
Programme Manager
(Technical Policy)
Email: christopher.boland@nzfsa.govt.nz

The efficacy of proven in-feed and in-water medications relies on the animal being treated consuming the quantity of medicated feed or water predicted when the inclusion rate of medication is calculated. In most situations the inclusion rate is calculated by the registrant and expressed as a quantity of medication per kilogram feed or litre water on the label. For prophylactic medications this may be an adequate amount of information because animals undergoing therapy will generally have normal intakes. However, in some cases and in particular if the medication is for therapeutic purposes, this is unlikely to hold true.

If animals have subnormal feed or water intakes, the consequent reduction in medicine intake is likely to have a negative impact on product efficacy, and subsequently on animal welfare. In consequence, the user of the product should have a sufficient amount of information readily available to enable the accurate dosing of animals at all times.

In recognition of this need the ACVM Group has adopted a policy that the labels of all medications delivered in-feed or in-water must contain (as a minimum) the following administration information:

• a dose rate for each label species, e.g. in mg/kg; and
• where feed or water inclusion rates are recommended (amount of product per kg feed or L water), a statement that they are based on the assumption that animals have a certain nominated intake, and should be adjusted as necessary to achieve the required dose rate where intakes vary from that nominated.

Following formalisation of this policy, the labels of all in-feed and in-water medications registered under the ACVM Act will be required to carry the above information. All veterinary medicines and animal remedies that are not currently compliant will be expected to become so prior to 1 July 2004.

Under the ACVM Act, the numbering of registrations is to continue in the sequence that has been used for products licensed/registered under the Animal Remedies and Pesticides Acts.

The only noticeable difference this will make to applicants is in the registration statement on the label. In order to differentiate products under the Act, the registration number will be prefixed with 'A' for veterinary medicine products and 'P' for plant compound products, e.g. 'Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No. A1234' for a veterinary medicine or 'Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No. P2468' for a plant compound.

A small number of products already registered under the ACVM Act have not had this prefix added to the registration number on their label content. Affected registrants will be contacted in order to  correct this at the next reprinting of their labels.