by Doug Carder
The federal Veterinary Feed Directive means “the days of no records and verbal treatment protocol are gone.”
Dr. Mike Apley, professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Kansas State University, delivered that message to producers and other members of the swine industry Thursday during KSU Swine Day in Manhattan.
“We have never had the legal ability to use feed drugs other than as labeled. We’ve never had that legal opportunity,” Apley said. “So if you’re using a feed antibiotic in a way that’s not specifically allowed on the label, you are breaking the law. That has not been enforced, because how do you know?
“Now as we move into the Veterinary Feed Directive, a veterinarian is going to have to make an FDA accessible record of what that drug is authorized to be used for, and in follow-up the FDA may go to any site that a VFD copy is at and investigate how it was used. So the transparency is going to be greatly increased.”
During his presentation – titled, “Countdown to the New Feed Directive – What Do We Need to Know?” – Apley told the audience 1978 was the last time the agriculture industry got a new class of antibiotics that is still in use today in food animals.
“When do you think we’ll get a new and novel class of antibiotics again for food animals?” Apley asked. The large meeting hall in the K-State Alumni Center went silent. “Yeah, don’t hold your breath. Because if we get them, they are going to the human side.”
The industry needs to keep that fact in mind as it contemplates moving forward once VFD is fully implemented Jan. 1, 2017, Apley said.
CLICK HERE to read the full article
Source: Bovine Veterinarian
