Medical drugs for veterinary use: new requirements and restrictions

In December 2021, new amendments to the Law “On Veterinary Medicine” and the Federal Law “On Circulation of Medicines” in terms of the procedure for circulation of medicinal drugs for veterinary use¹ were adopted. The following changes are introduced:

• The production and sale of medicated feed that includes antimicrobial veterinary drugs are prohibited unless there is a prescription or a requirement of a veterinary organization or organization (or sole proprietor) engaged in breeding, rearing, and housing animals, as well as a pharmaceutical license.
• The list of drugs for veterinary use (including the list of antimicrobial veterinary drugs available on prescription or requirement), the procedure for their prescribing, the forms of the prescription and the requirement are to be approved by the Russian Ministry of Agriculture.
• The prescription for a veterinary drug can be issued in electronic form (when approved by the owner of an animal or its legal representative). This opportunity will be available using the federal state information system in the field of veterinary medicine².

These amendments are intended to implement the provisions of the Strategy for Preventing the Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030³, that consolidated the necessity to control the circulation of antimicrobial drugs, including their prescription and rational prescribing and use in veterinary medicine⁴. Thus, the main purpose of the amendments is to prevent and limit the spread of antimicrobial resistance in the Russian Federation, and, consequently, to reduce the level of threat to life and health caused by the extensive spread of antimicrobial resistance.

These amendments will come into force on March 1, 2023, which will allow both businesses and governmental bodies to prepare for their application beforehand.

¹ Federal Law No. 463-FZ dated 30.12.2021 “On Amendments to the Law of the Russian Federation “On Veterinary Medicine” and the Federal Law “On Circulation of Medicines”
² VetIS: State information system in the field of veterinary medicine / URL: https://vetrf.ru 
³ Explanatory note to the draft Federal Law “On Amendments to the Law of the Russian Federation “On Veterinary Medicine” and Articles 4 and 13 of the Federal Law “On Circulation of Medicines”
⁴ The Strategy for preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030, approved by the Resolution of the Russian Government No. 604-r dated 30.03.2019