Lords Committee calls for ban on unchecked flea treatment sales
The Committee has called for more research to fill One Health research gaps.
The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee has published its report into the sale of pet flea treatments.
Following its consultations, the Committee has called on the UK government to ban the general sale of off-the-shelf and unchecked online pet treatments for flea and ticks.
The cross-party report, Paws for Concern: Pets, Parasites and Pollution, is the result of a number of cross-sector consultations, including with those in the veterinary industry. Based on these discussions, the Committee has concluded that the pharmaceutical industry is ‘worryingly’ embedded into regulatory and advice-setting frameworks.
The Committee now recommends that pet owners receive a ‘thorough’ assessment of the needs of their pets before obtaining flea and tick treatments. Pet owners should also receive advice about the health and environmental risks of pet parasiticides.
As part of these efforts, the Committee calls on the government to establish a comprehensive evidence base on the use of such medications – including sales and the proportion of pets routinely treated.
Similarly, it recommends that the government prioritise One Health research projects that address evidence gaps on their impact on environmental and human health. These would require financial contributions from the pet pharmaceutical industry.
The report is advocating for a ‘more precautionary’ approach to the use of flea and tick treatments.
This would see an effort to reduce the number of unnecessary treatments, particularly for low-risk animals. The government has been urged to strengthen advice and guidance on flea and tick treatment use, ensure they are sold only with qualified advice, and to make the risks of their use more visible on packaging.
It has also called for a review into the relationship that the flea and tick treatment industry has with UK and international veterinary medicine regulators. The Committee suggests that this would ensure that the risk of regulatory capture is removed, improving confidence in independent guidance.
Baroness Sheehan, chair of the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee, said: “The lack of scientific evidence and data, poor customer guidance and the relationship between the pet medication suppliers and regulators appear as murky as the waterways these flea treatments are polluting.
“Pet owners deserve accurate evidence-based guidance on the need for, and risks of, the existing and new chemicals which are being prescribed and the impact they are having on their pets, home and the environment.”
In response, BVA senior vice-president Elizabeth Mullineaux said: “It’s positive to see this report’s recommendations, which parallel many of BVA's own: we’ve long called for more research and for a risk-based approach to be taken when using these treatments.
“We also support calls for a ban on over-the-counter sales – it’s important pet owners have access to professional, tailored, veterinary advice on how to use these treatments appropriately, responsibly and safely when purchasing these products.”
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
