Veterinary medicinal products: the need for global standards

摘要

Veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) are key tools for both public and animal health and need therefore to be of high quality, safe and efficacious. This objective can be attained at international level if good governance regarding VMPs is structuredand international standards developed. To develop good governance regarding VMPs, each country should put in place and adopt a body of regulations. A public policy must clearly define the scope and the objectives, be transparent and set up an independentCompetent Authority with the necessary resources. All activities concerning the VMPs must be covered, from the design of the medicines to their final use, and this mechanism must be enforceable and backed up by administrative or penal sanctions. The OIEstrategy for VMPs consists of adopting standards and guidelines on VMPs and making available support tools. In this respect the OIE Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) audit, Gap Analysis and Veterinary Legislation Support Programme are very usefulfor Member Countries. Three OIE Collaborating Centres for VMPs provide expertise in this field and contribute to the education and training of the network of Focal Points for Veterinary Medicinal Products.