As a farmer, you need to know how to properly control medicines. You will most likely encounter diseases when you deal with your pigs, and when consulting with your veterinarian for animal illnesses, prescription of medication is inevitable. Note too, proper storage and disposal of medicine is important in responsible farming. Read on and learn how to properly control, store, and dispose of veterinary medicines.
Proper Control of Medicines
To prevent the contamination of meat with drug residue, proper control of animal medicines is crucial. You can do this by ensuring correct and proper organization of your medicines.
The following pointers can be done by keeping your medicine cabinet sorted out
- Purchase medicines in reasonable quantities, so there will be no surplus
- Expiry dates should be taken note of even before purchasing
- In medicine usage, older expiry dates should be prioritized
- Cleaning and organization of your drug cabinet should be done regularly
- All expired products must be properly disposed of
- Remember to lock storage units to prevent unauthorized access
With proper handling of medicines, you and your environment’s safety is maintained.
Proper Storage of Medicines
There are specific storage requirements for different types of medicines.
- Antibiotics, along with vaccines hormones, and irons, are all heat sensitive. They must be stored in refrigeration at a temperature of 2–8°C.
UNIVET antibiotics include Amovet, Avitron, Bacterid, Baxidil SE, Baxidil, Quinomax, Romoxtyl, Sustalin LA, Vetracin Classic, Vetracin Gold, Vetracin Premium, Vetracin Ultima, and Zeflexin.
- Vitamins and disinfectants, much like sedatives, stimulants, and minerals, are light sensitive. These must be stored in dim places or dark containers.
UNIVET vitamins include Bexan SP, Vetracin Classic, Vetracin Gold, and Vetracin Premium. Disinfectants of the brand, on the other hand, are Major D, Microban AVI, and Microban GT.
As a general reminder, it is always best to check product labels for specific information on storage temperature and exposure.
For storage of UNIVET products, these instructions are usually followed:
Store in a dry place at temperatures not exceeding 30°C. Protect from light and moisture. Keep out of children’s reach.
Proper Disposal of Medicines
Protect your staff, family members, livestock, and environment from accidental exposure to hazardous chemicals with correct medicine disposal.
Here are some tips you can follow to keep people and your area safe:
- Be aware of disposal options and restrictions in your area. Such measures may vary for specific items, so make sure to take note of that.
- Know your authorities. It is best to be acquainted with the people who are in the know so that you know who to ask when questions come up.
- Follow disposal instructions on Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).
- Train necessary personnel about the above measures.
It is also good to take note of injectable “sharps”. These are needles, syringes and other medical devices with sharp points usually used to puncture the skin. To dispose of properly, there are recommended disposal containers available in your local pharmacy.
UNIVET medications that need sharps for administering include Avitron, Bacterid, Bexan SP, Coglapest, GenVet ID 100, GenVet Ivermec, GenVet OXYN, JECT RAN, and Sustalin LA.
Proper control of medicines, proper storage of medicine, and proper disposal of medicine are all important to keep people and the environment free from chemical hazards. It also ensures the effectiveness of drugs, and lowers the risks of committing treatment oversights.
Sources:
https://nasdonline.org/static_content/documents/1665/d001555.pdf
