§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what work has been commissioned by, or done in, his Department into the effect of administering the drug Apralan on calves; and what work has been undertaken by the medicines unit of the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge, into the effects of the drug Apralan on calves and livestock in general.
§ Mrs. FennerSeveral formulations of the drug Apralan are currently licensed under the Medicines Act 1968 for administration to calves and pigs.
Licences are issued only after a thorough evaluation of data submitted by the applicant demonstrating the safety, quality and efficacy of the product. The assessment of safety includes the safety of the consumer of meat, milk or eggs from treated animals and of persons handling or administering the product as well as the safety of the target animal. In the case of antimicrobial products it also includes an assessment of the likelihood of the development of resistant strains of bacteria which may pose a hazard to human health. In licensing veterinary products, we are advised by the Veterinary Products Committee, a statutory committee of independent experts in human and animal health.
The central veterinary laboratory of my Department undertakes routine monitoring for antibiotic resistance which covers resistance to apramycin, the active ingredient of Apralan.