A package containing non-UK prescription-only veterinary medicine was recently identified by a courier company based at a depot in Belfast. The package, which arrived from India, was destined for an address in Belfast, but upon inspection, it was discovered that the medicines inside were not authorised for use in the United Kingdom.
The Department of Agriculture Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland promptly detained and seized the medicines. The inspector from DAERA discovered the following items in the package: 1000 Prednisolone tablets for dogs, 25 vials of Zoetis’s Vangard Plus 5 vaccine for dogs, and 5 vials of Nobivac KC live vaccine for dogs. These products, which require a prescription from a veterinary surgeon, were intended for use in dogs.
The seized medicines, Vanguard Plus 5/CV-L and Nobivac KC, are specifically designed to aid in preventing canine distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, canine parvoviral enteritis, corona viral enteritis, leptospirosis, Bordetella bronchiseptica, and canine parainfluenza virus.
It is important to note that none of the products listed are authorised for use in Great Britain or Northern Ireland. Additionally, the package did not contain any relevant certification to permit their importation.
The medicines were seized under Regulation 25, which addresses the importation of unauthorised veterinary medicinal products, as stated in the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013.
