Health committee  It is allowed. I would consider that preventing disease in a particular herd for which it's known there's a disease pattern, as well as treating a disease, is important. Preventing disease, and the snowball effect of many more animals becoming much more sick, and having to use more antimicrobials, and maybe second line and third line treatments, is a reasonable practice.

Health committee  I don't know that I'd want to say that prophylactic treatment is a major driver of antimicrobial resistance. I think what I'd like to say is the misuse, overuse, of antimicrobials is a driver for antimicrobial resistance. Making sure that a drug is used only when needed, at the right dose, and for the right duration of treatment, is what we're trying to achieve.

Health committee  That's a great question. I think we're making substantive changes already through the suite of regulatory changes and the policy changes, which will place a veterinarian in the decision-making process for medically important antimicrobials, which will avoid the use of these important antimicrobials for the promotion of growth, for which there is no modern scientific evidence that it is effective to do so.

Health committee  There are a couple of things. In prescribing and the practice of prescribing there's some provincial oversight to that under the practice of medicine and veterinary medicine. There's this division of the sale of drugs and the use of drugs that occurs across this country, which is unique.

Health committee  Thank you for the question. I'm a large-animal veterinarian, although I come from the city, so I can relate to your position. First of all, there are many types of antimicrobials that are available or at the disposal of veterinarians and producers. If the first line of treatment does not work, there are options for second line and third line treatments.

Health committee  That will come into force in November. There's a six-month coming into force period to allow for everybody to prepare.

Health committee  I'd be happy to answer that. You're correct that, in his report, the Auditor General did say that Canada should finalize its plans to address own-use importation of veterinary antimicrobial drugs and strengthen its control over the importation of veterinary antimicrobial active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Health committee  Ionophores are not affected by the change we are proposing for category I, II, or III antimicrobials. They are not a category I, II, or III antimicrobial, so they will not be affected by the change to prescription status.

Health committee  Yes. I'll just check my notes, though, to confirm.

Health committee  I just want to confirm that neomycin is affected by the change. For stakeholders interested in knowing which substances will be affected by the change, there is information, a notice to stakeholders, on our website that outlines the ingredients that are considered medically important antimicrobials that would be subject to a change from over-the-counter to prescription.

Health committee  To speak to the international piece and the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration is taking similar steps to what we are proposing. They are moving collaboratively with industry, as we are as well, to remove growth promotion claims from medically important antimicrobials so that such use does not occur.

Health committee  I'd like to thank the committee for inviting Health Canada to discuss the issue of antimicrobial resistance with a particular focus on our implementation efforts as part of the federal framework and action plan on AMR. Thank you, Dr. Njoo, for the overview of the strategy in the first presentation.