Health Canada advises on the coming into force of two new rules that will better protect Canadians from the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Antimicrobial-resistant infections are becoming more frequent and increasingly difficult to treat. While can occur naturally, the inappropriate use of antimicrobials in health care, animal health, food production, and sanitation increases the emergence and spread of resistance. When antimicrobials no longer work, they are no longer useful in treating infections in both humans and animals.
Antimicrobial drugs that are important to human health and used in food-producing animals may no longer be imported into Canada under the Own Use Importation policy. Going forward, only drugs that Health Canada has determined do not pose a risk to human health or food safety may be imported by livestock owners – and only in limited quantities.
A new program that will allow access to low-risk veterinary health products, such as vitamin and mineral supplements, for companion and food-producing animals has also been put in place to allow manufacturers to import and sell these products. Veterinary health products that pose a low risk to human health when used in food-producing animals and can be used to keep animals healthy may, in turn, reduce the need for antimicrobials.
View the Veterinary drugs regulated by Health Canada and the requirements here.
More details on Veterinary Health products available here.