Medicines Act 1968

33 Exemptions in respect of medicinal tests on animals

(1) The restrictions imposed by subsections (1) and (4) of section 32 of this Act do not apply to anything done in relation to a substance or article for the purposes or by way of a medicinal test on animals if—

(a) the test is, or is to be, carried out in circumstances where there is no evidence that the substance or article has effects which may be beneficial to, or otherwise advantageous in relation to, the animal or animals to which it is, or is to be, administered, and

(b) the arrangements for the test are such as to secure that no animal to which the substance or article is administered in the course of the test, and no carcase or part of the carcase or produce of any such animal, will be sold or supplied for human consumption.

(2) Subject to the next following subsection, the restrictions imposed by subsections (1) and (4) of that section do not apply to a veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner in respect of his—

(a) selling or supplying, or procuring the sale or supply of, a medicinal product for the purpose of its being administered to one or more animals which are under his care, or

(b) procuring the manufacture or assembly of a medicinal product where the product is specially prepared to his order for the purpose of its being administered to one or more such animals, or

(c) administering a substance or article to an animal which is under his care, or procuring a substance or article to be so administered.

(3) Subsection (2) of this section shall not have effect in relation to a veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner where the medicinal test in question is to be carried out under arrangements made by, or at the request of, another person, and (where the arrangements are made by the veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner and not at the request of any other person) shall not have effect so as to exempt from the restrictions in question anything done—

(a) in relation to a vaccine specially prepared for administration to poultry, or

(b) in relation to any other vaccine, unless the vaccine is specially prepared for administration to the animal from which it is derived, or

(c) in relation to plasma or a serum, unless the plasma or serum is specially prepared for administration to one or more animals in the herd from which it is derived.

(4) Subject to subsection (6) of this section, the restrictions imposed by subsection (1) of that section do not apply to anything which is done in a registered pharmacy and is done there by or under the supervision of a pharmacist and consists of dispensing a medicinal product in accordance with a prescription given by a veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner; and those restrictions do not apply to anything done by or under the supervision of a pharmacist which consists of procuring the preparation or dispensing of a medicinal product in accordance with a prescription given by a veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner or of procuring the assembly of a medicinal product.

(5) Subject to subsection (6) of this section, the restrictions imposed by subsection (1) of that section also do not apply to anything done in relation to a medicinal product where—

(a) it is done by the person who, in the course of a business carried on by him, has manufactured or assembled the product to the order of a veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner who has stated that it is required for administration to an animal or herd which is under his care, or is required, at the request of another veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner, for administration to an animal or herd which is under the care of that other veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner, or

(b) it is done by the person who, in the course of a business carried on by him, has manufactured or assembled the product to the order of a pharmacist in accordance with a prescription given by a practitioner, or

(c) it consists of selling the product by way of wholesale dealing where it has been manufactured or assembled in the circumstances specified in paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of this subsection.

(6) The exemptions conferred by subsections (4) and (5) of this section do not apply to a vaccine specially prepared for administration to poultry, and do not apply to any other vaccine or any plasma or serum prepared or dispensed for administration to an animal or herd unless—

(a) in the case of a vaccine, it is specially prepared for administration to the animal from which it is derived, or

(b) in the case of plasma or a serum, it has been specially prepared for administration to one or more animals in the herd from which it is derived.