Govt bans two veterinary drugs citing risks to animal health
New Delhi: The central government has banned the manufacture, sale, and distribution of two veterinary drugs, Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac, citing risks to animal health and potential ecological damage, as per an official gazette notification issued on 1 August . Mint had reported in July that the union health ministry was considering banning the drugs as they are believed to be harmful for animals.
The ban was deliberated during the 89th meeting of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), under the aegis of the Central Drugs Control Standard Organization. Both drugs, known for their pain-relieving properties, have proven harmful to livestock, notably cattle.
Further implications stretch to vultures, which, upon consuming the carcass of treated animals, have experienced increased uric acid levels leading to fatal kidney failure, thereby upsetting the ecological balance. “The central government is satisfied that the use of drug formulations containing Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac are likely to involve risk to animals.
It is necessary and expedient in the public interest to prohibit the manufacture, sale and distribution of–– (i) Ketoprofen and its formulations; and (ii) Aceclofenac and its formulations," said the government notification. The health ministry’s resolution came after seeking counsel from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) and the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to veterinary experts, following the ban of Diclofenac - a similar analgesic used on livestock that was associated with toxicity - Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac emerged as replacements in the market. The use of these substances has been especially rampant in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, with no regulatory
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