Veterinary Drugs Directorate

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The Veterinary Drugs Directorate is the Canadian body responsible for putting all "veterinary products, such antimicrobials, growth promotion drugs and feed additives, through a rigorous approval process before they are licensed and sold for use" in Canada. [1] It is part of the Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada, and exists by virtue of the Food and Drugs Act . Its goal is "to protect human and animal health and the safety of Canada's food supply." [2]

Contents

History

AMR

The WHO has defined Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as "the ability of a microorganism (like bacteria, viruses, and some parasites) to stop an antimicrobial (such as antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials) from working against it. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and may spread to other [people]." [3]

In 2011, Manisha Mehrotra, at the time director of the human safety division within the Directorate, spoke passionately about the need to crack down on the use of antibiotics such as cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones in the Canadian meat industry because of the risk of creating antibiotic resistant strains of viruses. [4]

On 1 December 2018, "all medically important antimicrobials currently available over the counter for veterinary use, including those used in companion and food animals and in all dosage forms", were moved to prescription status. Antimicrobials are no longer to be used for growth promotion in Canada from this date. [5]

Leadership

The Director-General from 2005 to 2007 was Siddika Mithani, who was once the President of the Public Health Agency of Canada, [6] and is now the President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. [7]

The Directorate has been led since at least June 2017 by Dr. Mary-Jane Ireland. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antibiotic</span> Antimicrobial substance active against bacteria

An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of such infections. They may either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. A limited number of antibiotics also possess antiprotozoal activity. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses such as the ones which cause the common cold or influenza; drugs which inhibit growth of viruses are termed antiviral drugs or antivirals rather than antibiotics. They are also not effective against fungi; drugs which inhibit growth of fungi are called antifungal drugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antimicrobial resistance</span> Resistance of microbes to drugs directed against them

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microbes evolve mechanisms that protect them from the effects of antimicrobials. All classes of microbes can evolve resistance where the drugs are no longer effective. Fungi evolve antifungal resistance, viruses evolve antiviral resistance, protozoa evolve antiprotozoal resistance, and bacteria evolve antibiotic resistance. Together all of these come under the umbrella of antimicrobial resistance. Microbes resistant to multiple antimicrobials are called multidrug resistant (MDR) and are sometimes referred to as superbugs. Although antimicrobial resistance is a naturally occurring process, it is often the result of improper usage of the drugs and management of the infections.

Health Canada is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for national health policy. The department itself is also responsible for numerous federal health-related agencies, including the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), among others. These organizations help to ensure compliance with federal law in a variety of healthcare, agricultural, and pharmaceutical activities. This responsibility also involves extensive collaboration with various other federal- and provincial-level organizations in order to ensure the safety of food, health, and pharmaceutical products—including the regulation of health research and pharmaceutical manufacturing/testing facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minister of Health (Canada)</span> Minister in the Cabinet of Canada

The minister of health is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing health-focused government agencies including Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as enforcing the Canada Health Act, the law governing Canada's universal health care system.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is a regulatory agency that is dedicated to the safeguarding of food, plants, and animals (FPA) in Canada, thus enhancing the health and well-being of Canada's people, environment and economy. The agency is responsible to the Minister of Health.

An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms (microbicide) or stops their growth. Antimicrobial medicines can be grouped according to the microorganisms they act primarily against. For example, antibiotics are used against bacteria, and antifungals are used against fungi. They can also be classified according to their function. The use of antimicrobial medicines to treat infection is known as antimicrobial chemotherapy, while the use of antimicrobial medicines to prevent infection is known as antimicrobial prophylaxis.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is an agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) seeking to protect public health, animal health, the environment and promoting animal welfare by assuring the safety, quality and efficacy of veterinary medicines in the United Kingdom.

Multiple drug resistance (MDR), multidrug resistance or multiresistance is antimicrobial resistance shown by a species of microorganism to at least one antimicrobial drug in three or more antimicrobial categories. Antimicrobial categories are classifications of antimicrobial agents based on their mode of action and specific to target organisms. The MDR types most threatening to public health are MDR bacteria that resist multiple antibiotics; other types include MDR viruses, parasites.

Shiv Darshan Lal Chopra, commonly known as Shiv Chopra, was a Canadian microbiologist and human rights activist. Chopra stood for food safety and testified before the Senate of Canada in defending the public from hormones, antibiotics, genetically modified organisms, rendered animal proteins, and pesticides.

The Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) of Health Canada manages the health-related risks and benefits of health products and food by minimizing risk factors while maximizing the safety provided by the regulatory system and providing information to Canadians so they can make healthy, informed decisions about their health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antibiotic misuse</span>

Antibiotic misuse, sometimes called antibiotic abuse or antibiotic overuse, refers to the misuse or overuse of antibiotics, with potentially serious effects on health. It is a contributing factor to the development of antibiotic resistance, including the creation of multidrug-resistant bacteria, informally called "super bugs": relatively harmless bacteria can develop resistance to multiple antibiotics and cause life-threatening infections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal Drug Availability Act 1996</span> US law

The Animal Drug Availability Act 1996 (ADAA) is a United States federal law. President Clinton signed the ADAA into law in October 1996. While still obligated to public health concerns, the Act intends more rapid drug approval and medicated feed approval to assist the animal health industry.

Antimicrobials destroy bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae, and other microbes. The cells of bacteria (prokaryotes), such as salmonella, differ from those of higher-level organisms (eukaryotes), such as fish. Antibiotics are chemicals designed to either kill or inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria while exploiting the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes in order to make them relatively harmless in higher-level organisms. Antibiotics are constructed to act in one of three ways: by disrupting cell membranes of bacteria, by impeding DNA or protein synthesis, or by hampering the activity of certain enzymes unique to bacteria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antibiotic use in livestock</span> Use of antibiotics for any purpose in the husbandry of livestock

Antibiotic use in livestock is the use of antibiotics for any purpose in the husbandry of livestock, which includes treatment when ill (therapeutic), treatment of a group of animals when at least one is diagnosed with clinical infection (metaphylaxis), and preventative treatment (prophylaxis). Antibiotics are an important tool to treat animal as well as human disease, safeguard animal health and welfare, and support food safety. However, used irresponsibly, this may lead to antibiotic resistance which may impact human, animal and environmental health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Health Model</span> Concept of interaction between all components of the global ecosystem determining its health

The concept of One Health is the unity of multiple practices that work together locally, nationally, and globally to help achieve optimal health for people, animals, and the environment. When the people, animals, and environment are put together they make up the One Health Triad .The One Health Triad shows how the health of people, animals, and the environment is linked to one another. With One Health being a worldwide concept, it makes it easier to advance health care in the 21st century. When this concept is used, and applied properly, it can help protect people, animals, and the environment in the present and future generations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Philpott</span> Canadian physician, academic administrator

Jane Philpott is a physician, academic administrator, and former Canadian politician who represented the riding of Markham—Stouffville in the House of Commons. Philpott was first elected in the 2015 federal election as a member of the Liberal Party and was appointed to the Cabinet of the 29th Canadian Ministry, headed by Justin Trudeau, on November 4, 2015. On March 4, 2019, Philpott resigned from her cabinet position as President of the Treasury Board over the SNC-Lavalin affair. On April 2, 2019, she and Jody Wilson-Raybould were both expelled from the Liberal caucus in the aftermath of the controversy.

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, founded in 1876, provides leadership on national veterinary issues, advocates for animal welfare, and works to encourage life balance in veterinary professionals.

Antibiotic use in the United States poultry farming industry is the controversial prophylactic use of antibiotics in the country's poultry farming industry. It differs from the common practice in Europe, where antibiotics for growth promotion were disallowed in the 1950s.

References

  1. ↑ "Canada's Veterinary Drug Approval Process". bcrc.ca. Beef Cattle Research Council. 21 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Veterinary Drugs Directorate (VDD)". canada.ca. Health Canada. 2019-07-04.
  3. ↑ "Antimicrobial resistance". who.int. WHO.
  4. ↑ "Crackdown on factory farm drug use urged" (PDF). CMAJ. 25 November 2011.
  5. ↑ "Health Canada encourages establishment of veterinary client relationships". dairyproducer.ca. Farmscape. 5 November 2018.
  6. ↑ "Siddika Mithani". pm.gc.ca. JUSTIN TRUDEAU, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA. 2019-02-25. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  7. ↑ "The Prime Minister announces a change in the senior ranks of the Public Service". pm.gc.ca. JUSTIN TRUDEAU, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA. February 25, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Dr. Mary-Jane Ireland (Director General, Veterinary Drugs Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health) at the Health Committee". opengovernment.ca. 13 June 2017.


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