The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has seized a quantity of illegal veterinary medicines during a search of packages at a depot in Belfast, Co. Antrim.
In a statement DAERA said:
“The following veterinary medicines were identified by a courier company based at a Belfast depot.
“This parcel was addressed to residential premises in Co. Derry and was shipped from the USA.”
The parcel contained:
- 1 x box VitMinPRO Health Enhancer (100 tablets)
- 1 x Vitamin B – complex + amino acids (100 ml bottle– injectable)
These products were intended for use in poultry and livestock and are not authorised veterinary medicines in GB or NI.
The medicines were seized under Regulation 25 (Importation of unauthorised veterinary medicinal products) of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013.
DAERA wishes to remind livestock farmers of their responsibilities in relation to the use of veterinary medicines on their farms.
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.