Dispensing Report needs careful analysis

NOAHwelcomes the publication of the Report of the Independent Review of Dispensingby Veterinary Surgeons of Prescription Only Medicines. It is a wide rangingreport, reflecting the systematic and thorough approach taken by the ReviewTeam in its preparation.

Itis a long report which will requires detailed study, both as to contents andimplications, to do justice to the care which was taken putting it together,and to consider all the implications of its proposals.

Nevertheless,at first sight we note with pleasure many recommendations that are in line withNOAH's own recommendations to the Review Team. Other recommendations addimpetus to the Doyle Report on Medicines Availability, voted through theEuropean Parliament earlier this month, which was welcomed by NOAH and itsEuropean federation FEDESA.

Accessto licensed animal medicines is essential for animal health and welfare, theprosperity of livestock farmers and the ability of veterinary surgeons andowners to carry out their duty of care. The total cost of treatment is whatmatters, not just the price of the medicine itself. However somerecommendations may actually increase the overall cost to farmers and otheranimal owners.

Oneparticular area is potentially harmful, and requires careful discussion: theproposal for companion animal vets across Europe to have greater freedom to use(human) generics may appear helpful in the short term. However, the reality is that vets would beleft on their own - using products with no approved animal indications andwithout the technical support of animal medicine companies. The longer term effect could be even morenegative; as Review Team

ChairmanSir John Marsh explains in his introduction:Without a price sufficient to cover these costs (of R & D etc) thesupply of new animal medicines would cease, resulting in avoidable economiclosses to farmers and a less satisfactory range of treatments to ensure welfarefor all animals.

Inthe final analysis, the success of this Review will depend on the Governmentsresponse, and whether access to these vital products is improved or further redtape is created.

Thisis a carefully constructed Report, and many of its recommendations coulddovetail together. However, there is adanger that, if recommendations were adopted piecemeal, the final result couldbe quite different to that apparently intended by the Review Team and certainlythose who gave evidence.

TheReport now goes to the Government for comment. NOAH will be working alongsideothers involved with the health and welfare of animals to try to ensure thatthe best points of this Report come to fruition in their entirety, while theimplications of other proposals are properly understood.

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Notes for Editors

1. Forfurther information please contact Roger Cook or Alison Glennon, 020 8367 3131,or visit the NOAH website, www.noah.co.uk.

2. The National Office of AnimalHealth was formed on 1 January 1986 to represent the UK companies whichresearch, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products. Theassociation has 35 corporate members and 10 associate members. In 2000 NOAH'smembers accounted for around 95% of the 357 million UK animal health market,with additional valuable exports.

3. Thereport of the Indendent Review of Dispensing by Veterinary Surgeons ofPrescription Only Medicines was undertaken by an independent review team forMinister of Agriculture the Rt Hon Nick Brown MP. Its term of reference were:

Toreview the procedures by which prescription only medicines (POMs) forveterinary use are classified and sold in the United Kingdom and the impactcurrent practices may be having on availability and prices.

Tomake recommendations to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by 31March 2001.

Themembers of the review group were Professor Sir John Marsh CBE (Chairman), DrJeremy Lucke BVSc, PhD, MRCVS, Mr John E Moffitt CBE DCL, FRASE and Lay YardleyNDD DipEd.

The report is available from MAFF Publications, Admail 6000, London SW1A 2XX. Tel: 08459 556000 or on the internet on http://www.vmd.gov.uk/ird/irdfinal.pdf