Farm-Scape is sponsored by Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork Play Audio Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.

Farm-Scape, Episode 1310

The Canadian Pork Council has set October 1st as the date for the implementation of a new drug use policy under its Canadian Quality Assurance program.

The CQA drug use policy outlines how swine producers enrolled in the Canadian Quality Assurance program will be expected to document, handle and use veterinary medications.

The policy had been expected to be in place by now but its implementation had been delayed as a result of delays in federal recognition of the CQA program.

National CQA Coordinator Dawn LeBlanc says the drug use policy basically states that only drugs approved in Canada for use in food producing animals can be used.

"Producers can still use products that have been approved for, say, cattle. They can use that in their hogs.

It has to be under veterinary supervision but you can no longer bring in drug products from outside of the country under the own use provision.

The active pharmaceutical ingredient issue that's been getting some discussion...what we're saying on that front is that producers can still be using those products but again it's going to have to be under veterinary supervision and only if it's an active ingredient that is the same as one already approved in this country.

We've done that because there are still some loopholes that will allow people to bring the product into the country and we're talking with Health Canada about how things are going to be proceeding with that".

LeBlanc points out the CQA policy is required to stay current with existing legislation so, if Health Canada introduces stricter regulations on the active pharmaceutical ingredient front before 2005 when the CQA drug use policy completely eliminates them, then changes will be made.

Provincial CQA coordinators will notify all producers and validators of the October 1st implementation date in the coming weeks.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.