ARCHIVED - An Overview of Canada's Participation in VICH

Canada recognizes that we are global partners in the regulation of veterinary drugs and for this reason applied for and was granted observer status in VICH (International Cooperation on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products) in the summer of 2002. Canada participated for the first time in the VICH meetings held in October 2002 in Tokyo, Japan.

Since the start of VICH in 1996, more than 100 of the world's leading experts have negotiated and prepared a number of draft and final guidelines in the different fields of product Safety, Quality and Efficacy. Twenty-five guidelines have already been adopted and for the most part implemented in the three regions. Five are at the end of the consultation period and four are under consultation. Canada will be examining these guidelines with a view to determining whether and how they can be implemented. Health Canada's Veterinary Drugs Directorate (VDD) will be consulting with our stakeholders after this work is completed.

VICH is more important today than ever before to facilitate the global registration of veterinary medicinal products, while establishing and maintaining consumer confidence in the quality, safety and efficacy of these products. Consumer safety and animal welfare are of paramount importance to modern society.