Ketamine is an important drug for anaesthesia and immobilisation in veterinary medicine. However, proposals have been submitted to international organizations to restrict its use by placing it as a scheduled substance of the 1971 UN Convention on psychotropic substances. Since it is often the only available, injectable anaesthetic drug, its use should not be restricted as an internationally scheduled drug.
The World Veterinary Association (WVA) strongly objects to international control of ketamine, as this could lead to ketamine being no longer available to veterinary and medical practitioners for clinical use.