46071 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister for Food Safety

46071 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister for Food Safety: What progress, if any, has been made in the quarter January to March 2024 to ‘Establish a programme of regularly monitoring the controls on antimicrobial veterinary medicines’ under ‘Objective 4: Antimicrobial stewardship’ within the New Zealand Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan 2017?

Hon Andrew Hoggard: The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) commenced an audit programme on use of antimicrobial veterinary medicines which includes a review of the controls on these veterinary antibiotics in 2023. This audit programme was underway in January 2024 to March 2024 with audits being undertaken, review of audit results and recommendations to improve guidance and regulatory controls around antimicrobial veterinary medicines being developed during this period. Additionally, MPI are continuing to work through a review and reassessment programme for all registered veterinary antibiotics. This review includes a review of the controls on antibiotic veterinary medicines. During the period of January 2024 to March 2024, drafting of, and consultation on a classification system for antibiotics that have not yet been reviewed was underway.