A missed opportunity towards addressing anthelmintic resistance in Ireland

Veterinary Ireland has described the signing of new Veterinary Medicines Regulations by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine as a missed opportunity in addressing the growing problem of anthelmintic resistance in Ireland.

The issue of antiparasitic resistance is a worldwide phenomenon and is both a public health issue as well as being an increasingly serious issue for the agri-food industry in Ireland. The ability to farm livestock on grazing systems is only possible where parasitic disease can be managed effectively.

According to Conor Geraghty, MVB Cert DHH, Chair, Veterinary Ireland Medicines Working Group “to address the issue of resistance we must ensure that the right product is given to the right animals at the right time, that refugia is maintained through selective, targeted treatments and that parasite control becomes a planned farm-specific procedure. The gateway to this outcome is through proper, scientific farm-specific advice from the farmers’ vet where a Client-Patient-Practice-Relationship (CPPR) is in existence. This advice must be ongoing and monitored, take account of farm specific issues such as epidemiology, pharmacology, the clinical picture, stocking densities, buying policy and local factors.”

According to Veterinary Ireland, the Minister, in providing for an alternative distance-prescribing arrangement for antiparasitic veterinary medicines has undermined our ability to address the growing challenge of antiparasitic resistance in Ireland. The Minister through the inclusion of an alternative Proper Assessment Protocol for the prescribing of antiparasitic veterinary medicines in the Regulations has downgraded the prescribing of antiparasitic veterinary medicines in order to address a perceived commercial issue.

According to Geraghty, “it is vital that farmers engage with their own veterinary practitioner to get proper tailored advice on dosing arrangements, and this will result in farmers using less antiparasitic veterinary medicines, savings to famers and improved productivity and profit, whilst addressing resistance.” Veterinary Ireland calls on the Minister to do all in his power to support this engagement between farmers and their vets.

According to Hazell Mullins, President of Veterinary Ireland, “the definition of 24-hour cover in the Regulations presents a real risk to the level of veterinary service that animal owners in Ireland have been accustomed to up until now. It is clear that the Veterinary Council of Ireland’s Code of Professional Conduct is at variance with this alternative distance-prescribing arrangement in the Regulations. The Proper Assessment Protocol does not require the provision of 24-hour cover in the traditional sense where the client’s vet is available to treat animals 24/7 365 days a year. Under these Regulations, the prescribing vet who has no knowledge of the farm will only have to provide cover for an adverse reaction to the treatment prescribed.”

In relation to the proposed introduction of the National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS), which is a requirement of the State to collect antimicrobial usage data, Veterinary Ireland will continue its engagement with DAFM on an agreed roll-out of this system.