The New Year is off and running and the FDA has also put out a new restriction on the use of antibiotics in food animals. This announcement came out the very first week of 2012. With all of the other restrictions we have to follow today, we are now getting more.
This announcement and restriction is in part due to the alarming rate at which we are getting super infections in people. The people in Washington and FDA want to save this class of antibiotics for use in people. A lot of activists are putting the blame on agriculture and veterinarians for our drug use. Personally I believe that there are only a few that indiscriminately use antibiotics in agriculture. Let me present the ruling and we will see what you think, as a reader and member of agriculture.
What action is FDA taking on cephalosporins? This class of drugs includes Today, Tomorrow, Naxcel, Excenel and Exceed.
Today’s order prohibits all extralabel use of cephalosporin drugs in food-producing animals except for the following uses:
1. Cephapirin: Extralabel uses of approved cephapirin products are excluded from the prohibition.
2. Extralabel Indications for Use: Extralabel uses to treat or control an extralabel disease indication in food-producing major species when used at a labeled dose, frequency, duration and route of administration approved for that species and production class, are excluded from the prohibition.
3. Food-Producing Minor Species: Extralabel use in food-producing minor species is excluded from the prohibition.
According to this, ceftiofur (Naxcel, Excenel and Exceed) can still be used to treat diseases not on the label, but the label dose, frequency and route must be adhered to. But, like any other extralabel uses, records must be maintained and treatment protocols should be in place.
Right now we are in the 60 day question and comment period before it becomes written on the books for good. With FDA installing this ruling, I believe we need more clarification on the exact wording, for what it means. As I see it now, we will not be able to mass dose stockers coming into a facility with these drugs. Use as a veterinarian sees fit is still in my opinion my right. Veterinarians have the knowledge of pharmacology and are given the right to treat animals for disease as they see fit. Now the government is starting to take part of that away.
I have always thought that we should see how much of the total antibiotic use is in agriculture as opposed to human. Especially, this class of antibiotics.
Dr. Tim E. O’Neill, DVM, owns Country Veterinary Service in Farmington, Ark.
