Agricultural Compounds and Veterinarian Medicines Act 1997 ACVM Act 1997

Key Principles of the Act  Prevent or manage risks associated with the use of agricultural compounds [and Veterinary Medicines], being :  risks to public health.  risks to trade in primary produce.  risks to animal welfare.  risks to agricultural security.  Ensure that the use of agricultural compounds does not result in breaches of domestic food residue standards.  Ensure the provision of sufficient consumer information about agricultural compounds.

Purpose of the Act in terms of animal remedies:  Control the registration, prescription and dispensing of "licensed animal remedies".  Products are extensively tested.  Guidelines for their use have been documented in the data sheets supplied with each product.  Includes relevant precautions and hazards.

Restricted Veterinary Medicine:  All veterinary medicines that are “licensed animal remedies”.  Previously classified as PAR (Prescription Animal Remedy).  No equivalent in the new system of the old PAR 1, 2 & 3 categories.

Consultation  All RVM’s may only be prescribed following a veterinary consultation. In this context, a consultation means:  an examination of the animal or  the vet obtaining enough information about that animal for him/her to make an informed decision regarding dispensing.

Records:  The records of prescriptions and dispensing must be kept and be available for audit. Large fines are issued for non-compliance.

Veterinary Operating Instructions (VOI):  Set of instructions from an authorizing vet (AV) to a non-vet. This allows the authorised person to:  hold RVMs in anticipation of their use  and to use RVMs in accordance with the AV’s instructions  when the AV is not carrying out a consultation.  The authorised person is not necessarily a vet nurse.

 The VOI is essentially another form of veterinary authorization. It must specify:  the person authorized (not necessarily a vet nurse)  the competencies of the authorised person  the drugs  the animals  the circumstances  and the period allowed.

 VOI’s are only appropriate:  where the vet is not required to make a diagnosis  or use his/her professional judgment,  or where the diagnosis is so obvious it could be made by a lay person.  Rarely appropriate for the authorization of use of antibiotics.

 There are 3 main groups of situations in which VOI’s could be used:  Prophylactic treatment of healthy animals to prevent disease e.g. shelter staff vaccinating kittens.  Chemical restraint of animals for a procedure or manipulation e.g. grooms on overseas flights with horses.  Treatment of a condition so obvious a vet is not needed to diagnose it. E.g. SPCA inspector allowed to euthanase animal.

 It is now legal and ethical for vets to authorize veterinary nurses to give sedatives or give pre-meds that the vet has prescribed even if the vet is not present.

 The person authorised in the VOI is not prescribing.  There must be records of use and a drug inventory kept. Auditing will occur.  Animals treated under VOI do not have to belong to clients of the authorizing vet.

Over The Counter remedies:  Over The Counter (OTC) remedies are remedies that are not RVM and do not require a prescription.

Therapeutic claims  Under the ACVM act is it illegal for a drug to make unproven therapeutic claims.  Animal remedies must be rigorously tested and approved for the species intended for.  Any other use is “off licence”.

Data sheets:  Guidelines for the use of RVM’s must be documented in the data sheets supplied with each product.  Includes relevant precautions and hazards.

Responsibility  It is the vets responsibility to ensure that VOI’s meet the requirements of the Act.  It is the authorised persons responsibility to follow the instructions on the VOI.