BAI's Authority Over Veterinary Drug Licensing Formalized

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday issued a department circular outlining procedural matters regarding the Bureau of Animal Industry’s (BAI) assumption of licensing authority over veterinary drugs, a power formerly held by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The circular included transitory guidelines for the issuance of licenses to operate and Certificates of Veterinary Product Registration (CVPR) to retailers of veterinary medicines, products, biologics, and other animal health products. The DA and the FDA had signed a joint circular in October that transferred the FDA’s licensing and certification powers to the BAI. DA Spokesman and Assistant Secretary for Special Concerns and Official Development Assistance Arnel V. De Mesa told reporters at a briefing that all FDA-issued licenses will remain valid until they expire and unless violations are found. He noted that the transfer of authority was undertaken because of the BAI’s specific focus on animal products and biologics, which will help speed up the processing of licenses and CVPRs. “The Bureau of Animal Industry has the expertise of laboratory veterinarians, so we can expect that processing would be faster within the Bureau of Animal Industry,” Mr. De Mesa told reporters. — Marron Joshua F. Mendoza