AVMA giving help on veterinary feed directives

Veterinarians who want help filing veterinary feed directives can use a model form and instructions provided by the AVMA.

The Association published the model form in January, and it is available to members. And separate general descriptions of information needed in a VFD are available here.

Food and Drug Administration officials have forecast expanded use of VFDs, which are similar to prescriptions, as pharmaceutical companies agree to eliminate over-the-counter availability of many feed- and water-use antimicrobials by December 2016. The change will require veterinarian oversight of antimicrobials in drug classes considered by the FDA to be important for human medicine.

Affected antimicrobials administered in water will be available only by prescription, and those administered in feed will be available only by VFD.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated how livestock-use antimicrobials in drug classes considered by the Food and Drug Administration to be important for human medicine will be available starting in December 2016.

Related JAVMA content:

Antimicrobial sales rise despite pending changes (Feb. 15, 2016)