Editorial 2. For a Specific Veterinary Pharmacopoeia
Characteristics of veterinary medicines are different to human medicines, not only for active ingredients but for administration conditions.
Veterinary medicines are administered through drinking water, food, directly in mouth, by inhalation spray, by aerosol and topical ointment for topical use, in liquid for topical use, in liquid for systemic use, by injection, by intramammary way or intrauterine way.
Many active ingredients can be administered through several ways. That implies a specific preparation and dosage to take into account, not only the stability of medicine but its stability during its administration, through drinking water or food as examples.
Thus, characteristics of each veterinary medicine are being particularized so that we finally have such a variety of products that apparently cannot be compared to each other. However that is only an appearance.
Many of the molecules used in veterinary medicine are over 20 years old in market, and each one of them is perfectly known about its dosage, indications, contraindications, secondary effects and other pharmacological and toxicological characteristics.
Consequently, veterinary science is in a position to make a universal list of active ingredients and pharmacological products including all their characteristics.
We are sure that this list would coincide perfectly with the products that the veterinary pharmacological industry prepares and commercializes.
In veterinary faculties they have enough investigation centres available in order to collaborate coordinately with each other and with veterinary academies or departments of ministries that aims to elaborate this veterinary pharmacopoeia, where characteristics of veterinary medicines are recorded, standardizing its characteristics, including periods of suppression.
This text would be very useful for manufacturers and for authorization official organs of veterinary medicine because it would universalize its registration, liberalize its international commerce avoiding differences among companies and countries, and it would permit the access to poultry and livestock producers, and secure and effective veterinary medicines in a scientific, legal, clear and egalitarian environment.
Both the EU and the North American FDA have elaborated a feed additive list. For its similarity to each other, we can see that this aim is achievable if exists scientific and politic commitment.
From Veterinaria Digital we promote the creation of a specific Veterinary Pharmacopoeia, which does not depend on any other Pharmacopoeia.