Veterinary Drugs Directorate (VDD) Divisions

The Director General's Office carries out the planning and day-to-day administration and financial operations of VDD.

Human Safety Division evaluates data on new drugs to assess any potential hazards to human health resulting from the use of veterinary pharmaceuticals in animals used for food, and conducts health risk assessments at the request of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The Division establishes mandatory withdrawal periods and sets maximum residue limits for residues of veterinary drugs in food derived from animals and develops WARNING statements for veterinary drug labels.

In addition, the Human Safety Division develops policies relating to the human safety of veterinary drugs, including antimicrobial resistance, and maintains a close working relationship with CFIA on matters of food safety.

Manufacturing and Chemical Evaluation Division examines manufacturing, quality control and packaging processes to ensure that all new veterinary drugs sold in Canada meet strict quality and manufacturing standards and maintain potency for their stated shelf life. The Manufacturing and Chemical Evaluation Division works to further the development and implementation of science-based policies and guidelines.

Clinical Evaluation Division undertakes pre-market evaluation of veterinary drugs to determine that they are safe for use with the intended species of animals, effective for claims made and that labels are clear and concise, provide adequate directions for use, including caution and warning statements. On a case-by-case basis only, the Division may authorize the sale of an unapproved veterinary drug through its Emergency Drug Release Program to a Canadian veterinarian. The Division contributes to science-based policy development in their area of expertise.

This Division has recently established a Pharmacovigilance Unit to conduct post-market safety surveillance to improve the monitoring of veterinary drugs in Canada.

Submission and Knowledge Management Division manages activities and develops policies and procedures for the management of submissions of veterinary drugs. The Division coordinates the issuance of Notices of Compliance once the submission has been reviewed and cleared for sale in Canada. It is also responsible for the design and development of technology processes to streamline and facilitate the business of VDD.

Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Relations Division is responsible for strategic planning and the coordination of VDD policies and procedures to ensure that they are in compliance with departmental, other federal departmental and international policies, acts and regulations. The Division is also responsible for public consultation on policies and regulatory amendments proposed by the Directorate and works to develop and strengthen partnerships with stakeholders and other interested groups to ensure that the goals and objectives of the VDD are understood, and that work done in collaboration with our partners balances the needs of consumers and industry to ensure the safety of food produced from animals as well as the health of animals.

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