From the Canadian Animal Health Institute:

Effective December 1, 2018 a Veterinary Prescription Will Be Required to Obtain Medically Important Antibiotics for use in Animals.
Change is coming. Medically important antibiotics used in animals will have to be accessed by prescription from a licensed veterinarian as of December 1, 2018. To help farmers, ranchers and animal owners prepare for these changes, we ask that you hang the following poster in a prominent, high traffic area within your facility. This poster lists the impacted antibiotics by brand name and category of medical importance to help animal owners identify the products they currently use.

As of December 1, 2018, a veterinary prescription will be needed to purchase medically important antibiotics (antimicrobials) for use in an animal. These drugs will no longer be available for purchase at livestock medicines outlets, co-operatives, or other places where over-the-counter animal medications are currently sold. Medically important antibiotics will only be available, with a veterinary prescription, from a veterinarian, pharmacist or as a mixed medicated feed from a commercial feed mill.

This change is a result of policy changes made by Health Canada to promote the responsible use of antibiotics in animals. Many of the chemical classes of antimicrobial drugs, or antibiotics, used in animals are also used in humans. Medically important antibiotics are essential for the treatment of serious and life-threatening infections in humans. If these drugs become ineffective due to the development of bacterial resistance, alternative antibiotics may not be available. Drugs with few or no alternatives for the treatment of human infections are considered more important than others.

To obtain a veterinary prescription, animal owners will need to ensure they have an existing veterinarian-client-patient-relationship (VCPR). According to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, a legitimate VCPR is considered to exist only if medical records of the veterinary practice contain evidence of relevant and timely interaction between the veterinarian, animal owner and animal patients. This may include: farm visits, consultations, direct animal examinations (individual or herd/flock), laboratory reports, production record reviews, etc. The VCPR is not a signed contractual agreement but rather a working connection and interaction between veterinarian, client and specific animal patient or group of animals.

More information about the VCPR can be found at: www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/importance-of-vcpr

Contact the Canadian Sheep Federation for electronic copies of the posters, by calling 888.684.7739 or emailing [email protected]