FDA moves to tighten controls on animal medicines

The FDA will issue an ordinance to try to strictly control the sale of four groups of animal drugs, including sedative Xylazine in pharmacies across the country to prevent drug abuse.
Committee to the FDA on the registration of animal drugs resolved yesterday to ask the National Drug Committee to improve the state of drugs that affect the central nervous system in animals and are sold without a prescription from a "dangerous" for "special controls."
Prescription from a veterinarian will need to purchase medicine from four groups of alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, benzodiazepine derivatives benzodiazepine antagonists and phenothiazine derivatives.
Veterinarians will be severely punished and their continued professional license if the animal medicines prescribed by them are misused and cause adverse side effects in humans.
Last week a man reportedly attracted patients and their families in outpatient departments in Ramathibodi two other hospitals to drink water mixed with Xylazine, which is colorless and odorless sedative and muscle relaxant. Victims lost consciousness and property stolen.
Xylazine is classified in the group of alpha 2 - adrenergic agonists.
In anticipation of the new regulation, drug stores across the country will be asked to sell these animal drugs only on prescription, said Pathom Sawanpanyalert, Deputy Secretary General of the FDA.
There are only 745 drugstores across the country the opportunity to sell these four groups of animal drugs.
Ass Suvichai Rojanasthien, Chairman of the Board of Veterinary Thailand, said he agreed with the move to the FDA, as this would prevent the villains from the use of these animal drugs on people, though without prejudice to the treatment of animals.