Registration of veterinary drugs in Australia and New Zealand.

In both Australia and New Zealand, the objective of clearance for registration and licensing is to ensure safe and efficient use of chemicals and to recognise the special needs of several different interests, namely 1. end-users concerned with efficacy and possible hazards; 2. the consumers of food products from treated animals; 3. stock owners and vendors who need protection from false claims from competitive products; 4. wildlife and other ecological considerations; 5. protection of overseas markets, with special reference to drug and chemical residues. In Australia the Technical Committee on Veterinary drugs is responsible for the preliminary clearance of products for mass-medication with respect to efficacy and safety and, in association with the National Health and Medical Research Council Committees, sets residue limits and establishes poison schedules. This committee, however, can only make recommendations to the individual States, who are responsible for administering regulations through relevant State departments. In New Zealand, the Animal Remedies Act (1967) is responsible for the control of manufacture and importation of animal remedies and for the licensing of these for specific purposes. The Animal Remedies Act is administered by an Animal Remedies Board which operates within the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and and Fisheries.