The American Veterinary Medical Association has created a five-member committee that will provide input to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on policies and regulations governing veterinarians’ involvement in the use of antimicrobials in food animals. The Steering Committee for FDA Policy on Veterinary Oversight of Antimicrobials will work with the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine to help develop “practical means” to increase veterinary oversight of antimicrobial use. “Antimicrobial resistance—and the debate on their judicious use—is an important issue facing veterinary medicine today,” said John Brooks, DVM, chair of the AVMA Executive Board. “This committee was assembled to help the FDA examine both the need for increased veterinary oversight in order to minimize any potential increase in human antibiotic resistance while still ensuring that these important medicines continue to remain available to veterinarians when needed.” The committee members are: Thomas Hairgrove, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, program coordinator for Livestock and Food Animal Systems at the Texas Agrilife Extension Service, Texas A&M System; Charles Hofacre, DVM, MAM, Ph.D., professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Population Health; Paul Ruen, DVM, partner at a private practice specializing in swine medicine and production consultation and immediate past president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians; Joni Scheftel, DVM, MPH, Dipl. ACVPM, state public health veterinarian of Minnesota; and Lorin Warnick, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVP, professor of ambulatory and production medicine and an associate dean for veterinary education at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
