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AgVetLink: Number 68, June 2008

Audit of Research, Testing and Teaching Organisations

In 2006, the NZFSA Compliance and Investigation Group carried out a ‘slice of life’ review of six research, testing and teaching organisations (RTTOs) in New Zealand to check compliance with ACVM legislation. (The 2006 review findings are available on the website at www.nzfsa.govt.nz/acvm/subject/compliance/review-rttos.)

Two of the locations visited were deemed to be compliant with the ACVM legislation. Four locations visited were not fully compliant with the legislation. These locations were audited in 2007, at the request of the Approvals and ACVM Group Director, to determine the effectiveness of any corrective actions taken after the 2006 visit.

Aims of the 2007 audit were to:

• provide relevant information on how RTTOs are now working within the ACVM legislation

• ascertain current levels of awareness and compliance to approved codes of practice and standards

• assess the usefulness of the approved codes of practice and standards in developing operational procedures that ensure the conditions of veterinary medicine registration or exemption are met.

Emphasis of audit

Subsequent to findings in recent ACVM audits special emphasis was placed on:

• purchasing and storing

• prescribing, dispensing and using

• disposing of surplus

agricultural compounds, veterinary medicines and unregistered veterinary and human medicines requiring veterinary overview, within the RTTOs’ spheres of activity. Other areas, that included all of the above, were record keeping, training and auditing.

Results

The full summary is available on the website. In brief, the 2007 ACVM audits found a positive and proactive approach by the organisations to comply with requirements. All four locations have made considerable effort to respond adequately to the recommendations made in the 2006 review. They are well underway to becoming self-regulating in the area of the use of prescription medicines for the direct management of animals used in research, testing or teaching. There were no serious non-compliances or non-compliances raised in the 2007 audit.

Recommendation for NZFSA

Ongoing audits in the ACVM RTTO Domain

The fact that four out of six locations visited in the 2006 ACVM RTTO review were deemed to be non- compliant and warranted a re-audit in 2007 may indicate the trend of compliance at RTTOs not as yet visited by NZFSA. Ongoing ACVM audits in the RTTO domain appear to be warranted.

NZFSA response:

An ongoing programme of audits of RTTOs will be arranged, especially to confirm compliance with recent changes to the ACVM Act which will require them to have approved operating plans.