Manitoba Pork is encouraging pork producers to make sure they are fully prepared for new regulations that will take effect later this year pertaining to the access and use of antibiotics.
Health Canada has scheduled several changes to regulations related to the access and use of veterinary drugs, particularly antibiotics, for December 1, 2018.
Mark Fynn, the Manager of Quality Assurance and Animal Care Programs with Manitoba Pork, says the biggest change is that, where as most antibiotics used in livestock production already required a prescription, all antibiotics will require a prescription.
Most, if not all, pork producers out there already have an established relationship ongoing with a veterinarian. I’d say the vast majority of producers, all the veterinary drugs they use, they get guidance from their veterinarians on how to use them already so the use itself won’t change. Some of the access will change a little bit.
What that really means is that producers will need prescriptions for some of the veterinary drugs, especially the antibiotics, that they’ve been using so they’ll have to get a prescription from their veterinarian to access it and they’ll have to purchase it through a veterinarian or a pharmacist or, if they’re using feed mediations at all, they’ll need that prescription and they’ll have to buy it in a feed from a commercial feed mill so the access is a little bit different. They won’t be able to get it through a common agricultural supply store to be able to get those any more but all the veterinary products that were available before the changes came into place will be available afterwards. It’ll just require a prescription and might change where they’re actually purchased from in the end.
Mark Fynn-Manitoba Pork
Fynn says most farms already have ongoing relationships where veterinarians visit at least once every year and many operations require much more frequent visits. He says, for advice in preparing for the changes, contact your herd veterinarian or Manitoba Pork.
