Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards Publications and Resources The Quality of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals

A Discussion Paper for the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS)

Holly Hufnagel

The objective of this discussion paper is to inform the LEGS Technical Advisory Committee on issues relating to the quality of veterinary pharmaceuticals for livestock responses in emergency situations. This includes the elements of the supply chain as well as the pharmaceuticals themselves, and also growing concerns about how antibiotic and anthelminthic pharmaceuticals are used (and misused) in the context of the global problem of anti-microbial resistance (AMR). This Discussion Paper draws heavily on the experiences and conclusions of the LEGS Operational Research Project on “Operational barriers to applying LEGS”, a review of existing literature, and interviews with key informants from agencies working within this sector (Vétérinaires Sans Frontières - VSF, Food and Agriculture Organisation - FAO, The Brooke, University/Research Institutions, LEGS trainers). The paper is structured in two sections, the first focusing on ensuring the quality of veterinary pharmaceuticals and their supply chain in an emergency, and the second on the development of anti-microbial resistance and strategies for minimizing these risks. The Annex provides case studies from Zimbabwe, Somalia and Kenya, and Niger.