Where do these changes come from?

FDA Guidance for Industry #209

  • The use of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals should be limited to those uses that are considered necessary for assuring animal health.
  • The use of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals should be limited to those uses that include veterinary oversight or consultation.


FDA Guidance for Industry #213

  • Asks drug companies to voluntarily revise product labels to remove growth promotion and feed efficiency claims.
  • Provides for moving over-the-counter products to prescription or veterinary feed directive (VFD) status.

What are “medically important” antibiotics?

This refers to drug classes important in human medicine. Some examples are:

Class of Antibiotic
Feed-Grade Examples
Aminoglycosides
Neomycin, Streptomycin
Lincosamides
Lincomix®
Macrolides
Pulmotil®, Tylan®
Penicillins
Penicillin, CSP
Streptogramins
Stafac®
Sulfonamides
Sulfamethazine, Aureomix®
Tetracylcines
Aureomycin®, CTC

What is a Veterinary Feed Directive?

  • A VFD consists of paperwork for the drug in question which is filled out by a veterinarian (a veterinary-client-patient relationship should be in place). It gives a description of the livestock to be treated, some instructions to the feed mill, and an expiration date.
  • The feed mill must have the VFD before feed can be distributed and the feed mill must notify the FDA.

What will change as a result of these FDA Guidances?

  • Growth promotion uses in feed no longer allowed.
  • Use of medically important feed antibiotics will need a VFD; can only be used for treatment, control, or prevention.
  • Each state’s regulations or veterinary board will define what is a valid veterinary-client-patient relationship
  • Medically important water medications will move to prescription status.

What won’t change as a result of these FDA Guidances?

  • Use of non medically important drugs (ionophores, coccidiosis treatments) remains unchanged
  • Ability to use feed-grade antibiotics labeled for treatment, control, or prevention won’t change, but will require a VFD.
  • Injectable antibiotic uses remain the same.
  • Extra-label use of feed-grade antibiotics remains illegal
  • Veterinarians should still be involved in medication decisions.

Additional Resources

  • Daly, Russ. April 2014. Using feed-grade antibiotics in livestock: what changes should we prepare for? Presented at Montana Nutrition Conference and Livestock Forum. Slides available at www.msuextension.org/beefcattle/resources.html
  • FDA. The judicious use of medically important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals. April 2012. Guidance for Industry #209.
  • FDA. December 2013. New animal drugs and new animal drug combination products administered in or on medicated feed or drinking water for food-producing animals; recommendations for drug sponsors for voluntarily aligning product use conditions with GFI #209. Guidance for Industry #213.

 

Click here for a pdf version of the VFD fact sheet.