As the deadline for an FDA plan to shift sales of medically-important antibiotics in the livestock industry from over-the-counter to prescription draws near, there are concerns among retailers and feed-industry officials that the transition may not go smoothly, says FeedNavigator.
The FDA sent businesses a reminder yesterday of its Veterinary Feed Directive, which was announced in December 2013 and takes effect at the end of this year.
The idea is to end the use of antibiotics that are medically important to humans from being used as growth enhancers or to promote feed efficiency in cattle, hogs and poultry. After the shift, the drugs will carry new labels that no longer mention growth as an accepted. The switch to prescription-only drugs will affect 25 drug makers and reform the way farmers have used antibiotics for decades.
“The VFD final rule outlines the process for authorizing use of VFD drugs…and provides veterinarians in all states with a framework for authorizing the use of medically important antimicrobials in feed when needed for specific animal health purposes,” the FDA said in its reminder.
But Richard Sellers, senior vice president of public policy and education at the American Feed Industry Association, told FeedNavigator that his organization has concerns about “the timeline for creation of the new drug labels, paperwork requirements, use of certain types of drugs, potential for treatment delay and access to certain veterinarians.”