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AgVetLink: Number 61, April 2007

DoC procedure to manage PARs for research use

The Approvals and ACVM Group was pleased to see the procedure the Department of Conservation (DoC) has developed for using prescription animal remedies (PARs) while meeting their obligations under the ACVM Act.

The veterinarian responsible for overseeing the use of drugs has developed an excellent system of control that includes a comprehensive web-based training programme and resource for researchers and an auditable way of providing PAR II drugs to researchers. DoC has researchers working in remote locations on feral species such as cats, ferrets and rodents. The programme developed has meant these researchers can safely handle wild animals, reducing the risk of being bitten and causing minimal stress to the animals.

Because of the difficulties in managing the use of PARs in remote locations, the programme developed has required some flexible thinking but has resulted in an auditable and controlled system. The system achieves the goals of managing animal welfare, providing adequate veterinary control of drugs, preventing diversion of drugs for inappropriate use and allowing researchers to work in a safer way. The responsible way DoC has approached their obligations under the ACVM Act is to be commended.