Wednesday, July 16, 2014

The Hill: July 16, 2014, 10:00 am Illegal Drug Compounds Are Killing Animals

Imagine waking up in the morning and finding your beloved pet on the floor convulsing, motionless or dead.
Now stop imagining, because this was the real-life nightmare this spring for horse trainers in both Lexington, Kentucky and Ocala, Florida when they found their horses experiencing seizures and thrashing in their stalls. In total, more than a dozen horses died or were severely injured – in some cases, paralyzed.
The cause of these horrific scenes – illegally compounded medicines.

These horses were prescribed illegal drug concoctions that contained unsafe levels of pyrimethamine. By one account 25 times the amount it was supposed to contain. A deadly overdose for innocent animals.
There is legal and appropriate animal drug compounding.  All legally compounded product starts with an FDA-approved product.  The product may then be modified by a trained pharmacist on the order of a veterinarian to treat the medical needs of an individual or group of animals such as adding flavorings, or turning tablets into an oral liquid for easier administration.
But some animal drug compounding pharmacies go far beyond those parameters – with deadly results.  They mass produce and market drugs that attempt to mimic FDA-approved products, often using untested bulk active ingredients, imported from countries that may not enforce the strict controls on drug manufacturing that FDA requires for approved products. These copies carry a cheaper price tag than approved drugs, but none of the consumer protection.
Why does this black market exist? It’s both expensive and time-consuming to take a drug through the FDA approval process. For animal drugs, this can take up to 10 years and cost up to $100 million.  But it is a process that protects consumers and their animals – by ensuring that the approved drug is both safe and effective at the labeled dose.


Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/212299-illegal-drug-compounds-are-killing-animals#ixzz37ePFgGww
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

No comments: