Antiparasitic substances intended for veterinary use will no longer be able to be sold in pharmacies, according to a recent legislative change requested by ANSVSA. The measure was taken following tragedies.
Several children ended up in the hospital after being washed with veterinary substances-Shutterstock
Several children have died after their adult caregivers used veterinary antiparasitic solutions. This is because such substances could be bought over the counter in veterinary pharmacies. ANSVSA has requested a legislative amendment whereby such solutions can only be bought from warehouses, with a prescription, by doctors or farmers. From now on, the change is in effect, and such substances, which have been used incorrectly and have caused tragedies, can no longer be sold in specialized pharmacies.
In February, a tragedy occurred in Iași County, when a three-year-old girl died and her five-year-old sister barely survived after her parents used a deworming solution for their sheep in the house. These incidents are not isolated; dozens of children were admitted to the pediatric hospital in Iasi after inhaling veterinary substances improperly used to combat parasites, ProTV News reports.
Deworming products for animals contain toxic substances dangerous to humans and are prohibited for human use. Improper use of these solutions can lead to serious poisoning, especially in children, by absorbing substances through the skin, affecting internal organs. Human skin is much thinner and more sensitive than animal skin, which increases the risk of severe side effects.
“The ordinary citizen will no longer be able to buy them, only the veterinarian, from pharmaceutical warehouses“, stated Gabriel Ciobanu, director of DSV Iași, according to the quoted source.
Specialized pharmacies have a period of 90 days to get rid of existing stocks. Those who continue to market such substances will attract sanctions of up to 10,000 lei or even the suspension of the activity for a period of one year.
“They registered quite a few cases, even worryingly on a national level, these products used for human use, used improperly and by people who should not have such products. We hope that the incidents that occurred in the human area, and especially of children, will disappear“, emphasized Ioan Oleleu, vice-president of ANSVSA.
