National Office of Animal Health (NOAH)

The animal medicines industry is dedicated to providing safe, effective, quality products for the treatment and welfare of all animals, large or small. The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) has been representing the companies that research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal medicines in the UK since 1986.

It replaced the Animal Health Register of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, which dated back to 1955.

NOAH represents the UK animal medicine industry: our aim is to promote the benefits of safe, effective, quality medicines for the health and welfare of all animals.

Animals benefit our society – they provide companionship and produce safe, nutritious food. All animals, whether pets or farm animals, have a right to be treated with the appropriate medicine to treat and prevent disease and reduce suffering.

Before they can be prescribed and sold, all our animal medicines undergo strict scientific assessment by the independent veterinary medicines regulatory body. We work to protect access to safe, effective medicines for all animals, and encourage innovative product development.

For over thirty years, NOAH has worked to improve animal health and welfare.

• encouraging responsible pet ownership through campaigns, such as I Heart My Pet and National Pet Month
• informing the public about animal medicines and working to dispel myths and misinformation providing professional training (NOAH Certificate of Animal Health) to those involved in selling animal medicines
• NOAH’s Compendium, online and hard copy, offers up-to-date information on licensed medicines
• effective self-regulation through the NOAH Code of Practice means that prescribers and users can trust promotional material
• NOAH members provide a range of medicines and vaccines, available to prescribers and animal owners – supporting the high standards of animal health and good welfare our society expects.

Animal medicines help us all

• Animal medicines protect pets and farm animals, and they protect us too
• they improve animal welfare by reducing sickness and disease
• help prevent diseases passing between animals and humans – around 60% of the 1,500 infectious diseases we know of can pass between animals and people
• help farmers provide nutritious food which is safe for us to eat