FDA Has Plan To Limit Antibiotic Use In Food-Producing Livestock

After increasing debate, the FDA has implemented a plan to phase out the use of antibiotics in food-producing livestock, an issue that has generated mounting concern over the past few years that the widespread and, allegedly, inappropriate use of these medications jeopardize human health by causing resistance to the drugs. Not surprisingly, the plan was met with mixed reactions. About 70 percent of medically important antibiotics sold in the US are for food animals, and most are used in feed without supervision of a veterinarian, according to Pew Charitable Trusts. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued a report saying antibiotic use for promoting growth is not necessary and the practice should be phased out (more here). The FDA plan calls for voluntarily revising approved use on labeling so that indications for food production would be removed and changing the current over-the-counter status to bring remaining therapeutic uses – for treating or controlling animal disease - under veterinary oversight. Once a drugmaker voluntarily makes these changes, its antibiotics can no longer be used for food production (here is the newest guidance and another that is part of the plan). In other words, antibiotics would only be used in food-animal production to treat sick animals or control the spread of disease, unless those drugs are submitted to the FDA for approval and drugmakers provide proof that there is no threat to human health. However, this still le...
Source: Pharmalot - Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Source Type: blogs