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Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) and its Practical Considerations for the Beef Industry
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published three reports outlining changes for the use of feed and water antibiotic products in production animals. The goals of these changes were to 1) promote judicious use of antibiotics, 2) protect public health, and 3) help limit the development of antimicrobial resistance. Guidance for Industry (GFI) #209 established therapeutic use principles (including prevention, control and treatment) for medically important antimicrobial drugs with veterinary oversight. A limited number of products (i.e. tilmicosin for beef and swine) require a VFD currently; however a number of classes of antimicrobials will be transitioning from over-the-counter to VFD (targeted) by January 2017. Animal only or non-medically important drugs (ionophores, polypeptides, carbadox, bambermycin, and pleuromutilin) per GFI #152 will not require a VFD and may retain use of therapy and production claims. Shared class or medically-important drugs deemed “important for human medicine” and used in both animals and humans include Penicillins, Cephalosporins, Quinolones, Fluoroquinolones, Tetracyclines, Macrolides, Sulfas, and Glycopeptides. Additional classes used exclusively in humans were outlined. The most commonly effected classes in the beef industry are Tetracyclines and Macrolides. These shared-class drugs may be utilized for therapy with veterinary supervision (by VFD in feed or prescription in water), however production indications, labeling, and promotion will be discontinued per GFI #213. In June 2015 a modernized VFD (21 CFR 558) was finalized to improve program efficiency, streamline FDA administrative procedures, and provide veterinarians greater implementation flexibility (effective October 1, 2015). Authorization must be in written or electronic form by a licensed veterinarian with a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR; as defined by the state or federal VCPR in states without VCPR regulations). Extra label use of VFD drugs is not permitted. VFD expiration will be product specific with a maximum up to 6 months. VFD forms must be retained for 2 years by the veterinarian, producer, and feed distributor. Recognition of what products and diets will be affected and proper planning remain critical to future use of these valuable animal health technologies. The VFD process will help ensure that medically important antimicrobial drugs may continue responsible therapeutic use with veterinarian oversight in medicated feeds according to label directions and only when appropriate to meet specific animal health needs.
Keywords: antibiotics, beef, veterinary feed directive