The US FDA plans to tighten control of human antibiotic use in livestock but will its measures prove effective at kerbing over-use?
I find myself coming back to antibiotic resistance with depressing regularity in these posts – but at least this time it’s been prompted by legislation aimed at reducing over-use. However, key differences between the way human and veterinary medicines are managed may limit the effectiveness of the US FDA’s forthcoming guidance.
Farm animals account for around 80% of total antibiotic use in the US. Use of antibiotics on US farms grew by 16 percent from 2009 to 2012.
Antibiotics are managed very differently in livestock and human patients. You and I would need a prescription to pick up an antibiotic but in most countries, a farmer could just buy the same drug over the counter to add to feed at “sub-therapeutic” levels. At such relatively low doses, antibiotics not only help stave off infection, but also encourage animals to grow faster whilst consuming less feed.
In 2016, the FDA plans to introduce a new guidance that will force veterinarians to act as gatekeepers – deciding whether or not antibiotics used in humans can be given to particular animals.
Unlike doctors, vets are not legally required to reveal any financial connection they may have to drug companies. A recent Reuters report highlights the fact that veterinary medicine is far more dependent on industry funding than its human equivalent.
Half of the veterinarians who helped the FDA produce its Judicious Use of Antimicrobials rules have apparently received money from pharmaceutical companies. Around 11,000 US vets work in food animal production. Even ignoring any possible ties to drug companies, an important part of their job is to help their clients maximize profit.
The two new FDA rules, that become effective in December 2016, prohibit the use of antibiotics to promote fattening animals for food, and require prescriptions for all antibiotics used in both animal and human medicine.
As of March last year, all but one vet pharm company had agreed to support the rules by seeking withdrawal of approval for some uses and changing the remaining ones from over-the-counter to use by Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) or prescription.
However, the guidelines will still permit antibiotics to be used for disease prevention. There is some concern that vets will use VFD prescriptions to get around the restrictions.
