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FDA Responds to Industry Questions on Guidance #213, Revised VFD Rule

Farm Foundation, NFP hosted 12 workshops across the nation last fall on the new policies and requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concerning the use of medically-important antimicrobial drugs in food animals. [Source: Farm Foundation]

The workshops provided more than 500 livestock producers, veterinarians and feed suppliers the opportunity to learn about the new policies directly from senior officials of FDA and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Participants also were able to voice their opinions and ask questions about the management challenges of implementation. During the workshops, FDA officials were not able to respond to all the implementation questions. FDA has now responded to all those questions. Review the responses here, or on the Farm Foundation website.

Farm Foundation's report of the workshops-- Stewardship of Antimicrobial Drug Use in Food-Producing Animals--cites a lack of knowledge about the new policies and requirements, as well as concerns about the availability of veterinary services, as critical barriers to the successful implementation of changes resulting from FDA's Guidance for Industry #213, which are expected to take full effect Jan. 1, 2017.

FDA has issued Guidance for Industry (GFIs) #209 and #213 regarding the use of medically-important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals, as well as a revised Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rule. Once fully implemented, these guidance documents will result in medically-important antimicrobial drugs seeing label changes allowing only therapeutic uses (prevention, control or treatment of disease), and use of the drugs in feed or water will require a veterinarian's order.