Case Overview
Case: Veterinary therapeutics and medicines Effective: 30 Jan 2016 to 24 Feb 2016
Case Description
This case describes the requirements for the importation of veterinary therapeutics and medicines for therapeutic use only. Therapeutic products may come in forms such as tablets, pills, capsules, powders or liquids.
This case does not cover veterinary therapeutics derived from slippery elm bark powder. Please refer to BICON case Powdered plant products for human consumption.
This case does not cover veterinary therapeutics derived from bee pollen powder. Please refer to BICON case Bee products.
This case applies to imports into: Australia.
Australia has a very conservative approach to the importation of veterinary products that contain ingredients derived from BSE susceptible livestock.
Officers from the Department of Agriculture (‘the department’) assess the BSE risk of ingredients derived from BSE susceptible livestock giving consideration to the guidelines for managing the risk of transmitting transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).
These guidelines refer to a country classification system based on countries being of negligible, controlled , and undetermined for BSE risk.
Members of the public importing veterinary products for personal use must also familiarise themselves with the requirements of the APVMA (please refer to the APVMA website for further information). In the same way that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) registers medicines for human use, the APVMA is the Australian government statutory authority responsible for the registration of veterinary medicines.
All veterinary medicines manufactured overseas and imported into Australia are subject to APVMA requirements. Members of the public should contact the APVMA or speak to their veterinary practitioner before purchasing and importing veterinary medicines from overseas.
Members of the public importing veterinary products into Australia for personal use should review the conditions in this case thoroughly.
The Department of Agriculture ('the department') will not release goods from quarantine unless the conditions in this case can be met, i.e.:
the importer can demonstrate with appropriate documentation to the Department of Agriculture regional office that a permit is not required, or
a valid import permit is presented with supporting documentation to the Department of Agriculture regional office which allows the goods to be cleared.
If a permit is required to import the veterinary product into Australia, the importers must be able to provide a Veterinary Products Questionnaire that has been completed by the overseas manufacturer. Without this information the department will not be able to progress an application for import permit.
Some products may require specialised storage and/or handling.