On June 8, China MoARA issued an official letter regarding the regulatory applicability of veterinary insecticides, aimed to clarify the applicable laws for animal-use insecticide fast emerging on the market.
After the careful deliberation by legal experts, it is well agreed that whether a veterinary insecticide should be regulated as veterinary medicines or pesticides depends on legal definition and the specific use purpose, use site and protected objects labeled on the product manual, advertisements, and other promotional materials:
Article 72 of “Regulation on the Administration of Veterinary Medicines”-Veterinary medicine refers to substances used to prevent, cure, and diagnose animal diseases or intentionally regulate physiological functions of animals;
Article 2 of “Regulation on the Administration of Pesticides”-Pesticide means a substance or mixture or other preparation of one or more substances derived from chemical synthesis or originated from biological and other natural sources used to prevent or control diseases, insects, weeds, rodents, or other organisms harmful to agriculture and forestry and aimed to regulate the growth of plants and insects.
If an insecticide was used on livestock or pets, aimed to protect animal health by preventing or controlling lice, flea, and other ectoparasites, it should be regulated as veterinary medicines. If an insecticide was labeled targeting agricultural or forestry pests, mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, ants, and other insects, it should be regulated as pesticides.
