Can your vet prescribe…….

… unregistered chemicals, or chemicals that don’t Have a MUP. (Minor use permit.)

In April 2003 there were changes to the rules vets must follow when providing advice or giving prescriptions. These changes have caused some confusion among some vets. Several members who have been refused a prescription by a vet have asked me for help. As I recall these members were all hatcheries, (forgive me if your were one of them and you are a grower.) which needed to treat common fin rot in fingerlings. I recently visited DPI&F Biosecurity to see if I could clarify the situation.

The following is an extract from the Queensland DPI. Web Site. For the full information go to: http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/health/11757.html#_ftnref3

Animals to be Under the Care of the Veterinary Surgeon

Under the legislation, a veterinary surgeon can only use, or prescribe, supply or recommend the use of, a veterinary chemical product to treat animals under their care.  This applies whether the veterinary chemical product is registered, unregistered or prepared by the veterinary surgeon. 

Information to be Given by a Veterinary Surgeon

Veterinary surgeons are obligated to provide full and appropriate written instructions, about the treatment of an animal under their care, to the person in charge of the animal at the time of treatment.

Record Keeping

There is a requirement for veterinary surgeons to make detailed records of the treatment of trade species* animals.  These records must be kept for two years or another period prescribed under a regulation.

*Trade species animals are animals used for food and/or fibre production, including major trade species animals

Withholding periods

Veterinary surgeons have certain obligations to inform the owner of a trade species animal of any withholding periods that are applicable to the treatments applied to the animal. 

Treated trade species animals must be identified as such during the treatment period and the withholding period.  Examples of how animals may be identified include tagging, physical segregation and written records.

There is also an obligation to ensure that any withholding period is observed.

The web page refers to three chemical categories which are;

1. Registered Veterinary Chemical Products

2. Unregistered Veterinary Chemical Products

3. Compounded Veterinary Chemical Products

To the best of my knowledge there are no registered Veterinary Chemical products for our fish.

There are many Unregistered Veterinary Chemical Products we have used in the past, and would like to be able to continue to use.

The web page says; All persons, including veterinary surgeons, must not use unregistered veterinary chemical products unless otherwise allowed under the legislation.

The legislation allows a veterinary surgeon to use unregistered veterinary chemical products on:

any animal that is not a trade species animal, or a single trade species animal. The legislation also continues to allow for the use of unregistered veterinary chemical products under a permit granted by the APVMA.

What does this mean to us?

A “trade species” is any of our fish that are, “are animals used for food”.

Aquarium fish are not used for food so a vet can prescribe for ornamental fish.

A vet cannot prescribe if the fish are intended as food and there is not a permit issued by the APVMA. This is where the MUP (Minor Use Permit.) comes in. We must get these permits in place urgently ! The National aquaculture council, (NAC) are once again going through the process of  getting MUP for chemicals used in aquaculture. I have stressed that the AAQ con only justify paying it’s membership fee if MUP are forthcoming in the near future. Membership fees to NAC are to increase by 50% this year! ( Note: A vet can prescribe to treat a “single animal” when there is not MUP, but not a pond or tank full.)

How will you work with a NAC held MUP.

The AAQ is a member of the NAC. You are a member of AAQ. This will allow you to use these chemicals but you must keep records. The NAC will ask the AAQ for details of the usage under the MUP.