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Veterinary Feed Directives
from Sept Oct 2015
by legacyiw
DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE ANYWHERE, USA
DATE: JANUARY 1, 2017
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You Might Need a Prescription for that...
by Karla Blackstock
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule on June 2, 2015, regarding the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD), which will limit the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals. In doing so, the FDA placed the use of many antibiotics, administered through feed and water additives, in the hands of veterinarians.
Antibiotic drugs, such as tetracycline, tylosin and sulpha drugs can currently be purchased as supplements for feed and water from most feed stores. However, by this time next year, producers and veterinarians will be preparing for changes that will require prescriptions for these additives.
Producers have self-regulated the usage of these medications through supplements since the late 1990s. However, the FDA’s recent ruling will place the regulation of feed and water supplement or VFD antibiotics under the supervision of veterinarians, who will decide the use and medical importance. While you will not need a veterinarian to dispense the antibiotics, veterinarians will be involved in the decision-making process. The FDA has announced that their goal is to ensure the judicious use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals. While there is a withdrawal period for many antibiotics, the FDA is taking this additional step in an attempt to reduce drug resistance in humans.
The administration’s website also states that it hopes the ruling will bring the use of these drugs under veterinary supervision so that they are only used when necessary for treating animal health and wellness.
“The FDA took a number of tools away from producers,” said Dr. Gerald Stokka, associate professor of livestock stewardship at North Dakota State University. “For example, if a significant number of animals need treatment for foot rot, producers know that tetracycline works and that they can use it for large numbers of animals through feed additives.”
In his example, producers can medicate their herd to keep diseases from spreading quickly. In the future, however, Stokka is concerned that some issues like foot rot and pinkeye might not get treated as quickly because of the additional process.
“From an animal welfare standpoint, this is not a good ruling,” he said. “Some of the products used for controlling diseases will be limited, and we don’t have other large-scale solutions for these conditions.”
After implementation of the new FDA ruling, producers will need a veterinarian’s prescription for antibiotics purchased as feed and water supplements. But Stokka said the problem for goat producers is two-fold.
Here is the problem for goat producers. There are
very few antibiotics and medicated additives that are labeled specifically for goats. This places most antibiotics in what the FDA calls an “extra-label” use category. From a legal standpoint, Stokka said, you can only use feed and water additives (or any antibiotic) by the label. Therefore, some veterinarians may be hesitant to write broader prescriptions.
“Anything that you buy through feed or water for minor species, unless it has goats on the label, is illegal,” said Stokka.
Without labeling for goats, producers may have a harder time getting these antibiotics.
“However, there is a little excuse for minor species to let it slide,” said Stokka. “There is some provision for minor species that says if I am using it for other species, it is illegal to use, but, go ahead. We [FDA] probably aren’t going to take action, but it is still illegal.”
The bottom line Stokka said is, “If you don’t have a veterinarian that you are working with, you need to find one.”
Between now and December 2016, you can walk into your local co-op or feed store and purchase feed with additives or powder additives without any changes.
As of January 1, 2017, when you enter that same store you had better go armed with a veterinarian’s prescription for prevention, control or treatment of a specifically identified disease. And, since most of the antibiotics for goats are used extra-label, your veterinarian will need to write the prescription in a way that allows you to use it legally.
For large co-ops and feed stores and for producers near these locations, veterinarians can electronically send prescriptions on your behalf. However, if you live in small areas or do business with feed stores who aren’t in the electronic world yet, you may have a harder time and will need to carry that note with you.
COMPLIANCE POLICY GUIDE (CPG) FOR EXTRA-LABEL USE OF MEDICATED FEEDS FOR MINOR SPECIES:
This guide directs FDA field personnel to make the use of medicated feeds for minor species a low enforcement priority under the stated conditions. Extra-label use of medicated feeds is illegal. This guide does not make extra-label use legal or allow unapproved medicated feeds to be promoted or marketed for these uses. It simply makes it less likely that
action will be taken against veterinarians and producers who use medicated feeds approved for use in other species for therapeutic purposes in minor species under the condi-
tions stated in the CPG. Such feeds are to be formulated and labeled in accordance with their approved uses.
Photo by Karla Blackstock
Shown above: Tetracycline powders that can be added to water will be one of the additives requiring vet’s prescription in January 2017.
The Bottom Line
• Growth promotion with feed antibiotics will no longer be allowed. These include Tetracyclines (CTC, Aureomycin), NeoTerra and Stafac. • Use of many medically important antibiotics in feed will need a VFD. Producers can only use these drugs for treatment, control and prevention. Drugs include Tetracycline (CTC, Aureomycin), Tylan and Sulfamethazine (Aureomix). • Water medications will go from OTC to Rx. • What won’t change? Use of non-medically important antibiotics such as Ionophores (Rumensin), Coccidiosis treatment (Corid, Deccoxx, etc) and Bacitracin (BMD). • OTC single-dose medicines such as sulfa drugs in bolus form will not be affected. • Remember, you will be able to use the same products for treatment, prevention, and control but you will need a prescription for some.
