Volume 7: Medicines and Cosmetics
5. Issue of guidelines
Introduction

5.1 As we have seen, up to January 1989 MAFF and Medicines Division worked separately in responding to the emergence of BSE and there was no contact between the work of the Veterinary Products Committee (VPC) and the other section 4 committees. On 3 January 1989 MAFF and DH officials met collectively for the first time to discuss the handling of BSE and medicines licensing. They agreed that it was essential to keep 'in step', and issue joint guidelines.

5.2 For the next three months the two Departments worked closely to agree and issue joint guidelines and questionnaires. In this process, MAFF ceded the lead to DH in the way matters were handled. Although there was a more obvious risk of animal-to-animal transmission than of animal-to-humans, it was felt that human safety issues were paramount. In particular, DH fears about creating a vaccine scare were taken into account in agreeing with MAFF how matters should be handled. The outcome was that joint guidelines and a joint questionnaire about the use of products were issued in early March. This chapter reviews these events, how they interacted with the final drafting and perceived message of the Southwood Report, and the action taken immediately after that report was published at the end of February.