The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has annocued that it has seized a quantity of illegal animal medicine during a routine inspection of a pharmacy in the West Midlands.
A VMD inspector found 23 pots x Worming Capsules (50 tablets) manufactured by Meditech in Jubilee Pharmacy.
These products are intended for use in pigeons and are not authorised veterinary medicines in the UK.
In July 2019 Fenbendazole, the active ingredient in this product, was removed from the list of approved actives for products manufactured under Schedule 6 of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (Exemptions for small pet animals).
The medicines were seized under Regulation 4 (Placing a veterinary medicinal product on the market) of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013.
Animal medicine use
Good management, housing, hygiene and nutrition, are essential to ensuring the health and welfare of livestock and the profitability of farm businesses.
On occasions veterinary medicines can be a costly but necessary input in livestock farming.
However, careless use or illegal veterinary medicines on the farm can threaten consumer safety and may damage the reputation of local produce, negatively impacting on trade.
The use of antimicrobials in agriculture is coming under increased scrutiny due to the link with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans.
AMR is a severe problem in human medicine and has prompted concerns that resistant bacteria could be transferred from livestock to the human population.
