Dear Sir,
I feel compelled to respond to the Special Report in the July 2008 CVJ entitled “Health Canada’s policy on extra-label drug use in food-producing animals in Canada” (Can Vet J 2008;49:689–693).
The report made much about the Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR), but gave no insight as to the proportion of livestock medicines that are sold over-the-counter versus ethical sales (through veterinarians). Surely the Canadian Animal Health Institute could supply these figures. Not wanting to “bite the hand that feeds it,” the Veterinary Drug Directorate hinted at the need for change to the regulations governing the sale of livestock medicines. Should the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association not be lobbying the Federal government to assume full responsibility for the control of the sale of all veterinary pharmaceuticals and that this would involve “veterinary only” sales as is already in place in Quebec?
Obviously, the lack of VCPR would erode public confidence in food safety issues if it were made public the ease at which livestock medicines are currently available through non-veterinary sources.