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 1180

The Canadian Pork Council has released updated information on the new drug use policy being developed for the 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.

National CQA Coordinator Dawn LeBlanc says the policy has been condensed into three new fact sheets which are now being distributed to producers.

"The first document is the drug use policy itself so it outlines the policy within our own program materials. It explains what the time line is for implementation and, unfortunately, we're still just giving a date saying mid-2003.

The firm final date for the implementation of the policy will be released when we get our times line from CFIA regarding the technical review process that we are currently involved in. The second document gives the interpretation.

It explains how the policy will affect different types of medications, feed medications, veterinary prescriptions, what types of relationship and information is necessary from your veterinarian, what information you're going to have to show as part of the program. There's not a lot that's really changing for the producers who are already on the program as far as the type of records that they need to be keeping but we wanted to make sure it's explained in the interpretation."

LeBlanc says the interpretation explains which medications are affected, the big ones being those imported into Canada under the 'own use' provision, which will be eliminated under the policy and the other being active pharmaceutical ingredients which will be limited those that have been approved in Canada.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.