Three more organizations have joined with the World Small Animal Veterinary Association in a campaign to improve global access to veterinary drugs.

WSAVA and its Therapeutics Guidelines Group launched the effort in early 2018 because of roadblocks in many countries to veterinary diagnostics and therapeutic modalities.

The newest co-signatories of WSAVA’s position statement are the World Veterinary Association, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe and the Federation of Companion Animal Francophone Veterinary Associations.

A survey of WSAVA members found that 75 percent of respondents reported issues with accessing veterinary medical products, a problem that impacts patient care.

“We face a Herculean task in trying access everything from basic medical consumables, such as syringes and needles, right up to veterinary drugs,” WSAVA quoted Nigerian veterinarian Olatunji Nasir as saying. “Registration fees are very high because they are the equivalent of what is charged for human drugs despite the fact that the volume used is much lower.

“The process of registering a new drug can also take up to 36 months, which feeds demand for substandard products which are smuggled into the country,” Dr. Nasir said. “The procedures for importing drugs are also cumbersome and impractical.”

Luca Guardabassi, DVM, Ph.D., ECVPH, a Danish professor and the newly appointed chairman of the Therapeutics Guidelines Group, called accessibility “a critical issue for companion animal veterinarians in many parts of the world.”

“It causes huge frustration and means that many thousands —probably millions —of animals do not receive optimum care,” Dr. Guardabassi said. “It’s a situation which requires urgent change, and we are determined to bring this about.”

The topic will be addressed in September at the WSAVA World Congress in Singapore.

“At this meeting, we will bring together stakeholders from around the world to discuss the issues and recommend practical solutions,” Dr. Guardabassi said.