Vol. 542 No. 5
226 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the products he intends removing from co-operative animal food companies throughout the country; if he intends allowing these products to be sold solely by the veterinary practices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25147/01]
Under relevant legislation (The Animal Remedies Regulations, 1996), decisions on licensing of veterinary medicines, including designation of route of supply, rest with the Irish Medicines Board. In the case of veterinary vaccines, this competence is vested in my office.
For my part, I have not taken any general decision in the terms used by the Deputy. I have, however, recently decided to accept the central thrust of a report from the Irish Medicines Board to the effect that intramammary antibiotic medicines should be brought under prescription control. My Department will now consider in detail the implications of this decision in terms of existing legislation. In this context, all stakeholders will be afforded an opportunity to put forward their views and suggestions on the operation of a prescription control regime in relation to intramammaries, while retaining the essential elements of a prescription control regime. My Department is currently in the process of writing to interested parties in this regard.
