Reforming the regulation of drug use in farm animals

Farm animals are given drugs to make them grow faster or yield more milk, not just to treat disease.

We have four major concerns about the regulation of drug use in farm animals:

• There is not a sufficiently clear distinction in risk management between drugs that are used to treat animals that are sick, and are only used occasionally, and drugs which are used routinely to prevent disease and/or boost production.
• Current risk management processes are ill-equipped to handle the significant scientific uncertainties that surround the human health and animal welfare implications of many products.
• The regulatory system remains opaque and there is insufficient scope for public scrutiny of and input to regulatory decision-making.
• The regulatory system is structured and funded in such a way as to raise serious concerns about institutional conflicts of interest.

Our first report, published in 1998, highlighted these issues, particularly in relation to the routine use of antibiotics and of hormones to boost production. Since then we have responded to numerous consultations on these issues, promoted discussion in the media and met with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the UK government agency responsible for regulating veterinary drugs. You can find publications on veterinary drugs in our library.