Certain veterinary substances have been prohibited and restricted in Nicaragua

On August 16th, in Official Gazette number 149, Executive Resolution 042-2023 was published, in which the Institute of Protection and Agricultural Health (IPSA) establishes regulations and prohibitions related to substances that pose a risk to public health, animal health, the environment, production, and trade, according to the Institute.

A total of 37 substances are prohibited, with their possession, manufacturing, transportation, sanitary registration, importation, storage, handling, commercialization, sale, and use in all animal species, both aquatic and terrestrial, being strictly forbidden. These substances include: Salbutamol, Chloroform, Carboxypenicillins, and Monobactams, among others. The Animal Health Directorate will establish specific procedures for the withdrawal of products containing any of the prohibited substances.

Regarding restrictions, the registration, trade, and use of 8 veterinary medicines are limited as follows:

• Clenbuterol is only authorized for use in horses, with indications established in the Codex Alimentarius, and its administration in other species is prohibited.
• Gentian Violet and Methylene Blue will only be permitted in products ready for topical use in terrestrial animal species.
• Metronidazole, Dimetridazole, and other nitroimidazoles should only be used in dogs and cats, and they cannot be registered in medicines intended for use in all terrestrial and aquatic animal species for human consumption.

Specific conditions will be established by IPSA for product registrations containing restricted substances.

In addition to the prohibitions and restrictions set forth in the mentioned resolution, it is important to note that these regulations apply to farms within the Segregated Bovine Production System (SSPB). Within this context, the use of anabolic and beta-agonist veterinary drugs is prohibited. As for veterinary drugs such as coccidiostats and coccidiocides, they will only be authorized for therapeutical use with proper support.

The list of prohibited and restricted substances is subject to changes by IPSA under established local procedures.

Registrations of veterinary medicines containing any of the prohibited substances will be canceled. Holders of medicines containing phosphonic acid derivatives for poultry and pigs must deplete their inventories within a 6-month period from the publication date, i.e., until February 2024.

Following this executive resolution, all registrations of medicines containing prohibited substances that were valid at the time of publication are automatically canceled. Holders and manufacturers of restricted medicines must make authorized modifications to labels, packaging, and inserts related to usage restrictions within a maximum period of one year from the publication, with a deadline of August 15, 2024. Non-compliance will result in sanctions in accordance with national legislation.

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