Antibiotic use under attack

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced the availability of a draft guidance (#209) entitled “The Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs in Food-Producing Animals.”

The draft guidance is a statement of principles that is open for comment and could ultimately lead to regulatory action.  Public comments should be submitted by August 30th  to http://www.regulations.gov. The docket ID number is FDA-2010-D-0094.

The two principles outlined in the draft guidance include: 

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

According to a Q&A fact sheet by USDA APHIS, it is possible that this draft guidance could lead to legislation that would make all antimicrobial drugs prescription only. This would severely limit the ability of sheep and goat producers to treat their animals, as many producers do not have access to knowledgeable small ruminant veterinarians. Mandatory veterinary involvement would also substantially increase production costs.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), "There is little to no evidence that restricting or eliminating the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals would improve human health or reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance to humans."  The AVMA does not support The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (H.R. 1549/S. 619).

FYI:  Antibiotics (e.g. penicillin) are a type of antimicrobial, but not all antimicrobials are antibiotics.

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