Vets object but this pain relief at lamb marking gets green light

It’s got industry backing, it’s ready to go for spring lamb marking but vets want to be the only ones to sell it. What is Numnuts?

An industry-backed move to allow the Numnuts pain relief product to be sold over the counter rather than through vets has just jumped another crucial hurdle.

But The Weekly Times understands that vets are still objecting to its sale away from their control and look likely to appeal the latest ruling which gave wider access the green light.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration last week gave an interim ruling that Numnuts could be sold more broadly.

NumOcaine, sold as Numnuts pain relief, is injected at the same time as ring application to the tail or testes to provide pain relief at lamb marking.

Numnuts developer Robin Smith said the rescheduling process began two years ago and Numnuts received an S5 classification in July but this had been appealed by the Australian Veterinary Association.

“In the three years that Numnuts has been on the market, we have received numerous appeals from farmers and peak councils to streamline the availability and access of our pain relief product,” Mr Smith said.

“We have had the support (for the reclassification) from hundreds of farmers, the RSPCA, WoolProducers Australia, Sheep Producers Australia, Australian Wool Innovation and some vets.

“The attempt to reverse this decision by the policymakers at the AVA has sat like a rubber ring on an essential part of our enterprise’s anatomy for over nine months and the decision by the TGA feels like a shot of utter relief!”

Mr Smith said the company was committed to working with vets to increase the uptake of the product and to ensure animal welfare outcomes.

“Working with everyone in the farm supply chain, we hope to see an increase in the use of Numnuts/NumOcaine,” Mr Smith said.

“Achieving that goal will enable us to fund further research and development on improved formulations and, hopefully, a pain relief solution for young calf ring castration.”

An AVA spokeswoman said the organisation was disappointed by the decision made by the TGA “because drugs that provide pain relief should be used in consultation with a veterinarian”.

“Providing effective, meaningful pain relief for painful husbandry procedures usually involves a number of drugs at the time of the procedure and subsequent administration to ensure sustained pain relief over a number of day,” the spokeswoman said.

“This is what occurs in dogs, cats and horses when they have husbandry procedures such as castration, and it should occur in all domesticated species.”

The spokeswoman said veterinarians were extensively trained in management of animal health.

“(They are) well placed to work with producers to determine the most suitable procedures and associated pain relief including length of effectiveness and mode of action which results in a real difference to the animal when they are having painful husbandry procedures,” she said.

WoolProducers Australia chief executive Jo Hall said it supported increased access to pain relief which “was a win for everyone, including the animals”.