What does 503B compounding mean for the future of veterinary medicine?April 3, 2019Modern compounding—often referred to as 503A—is a niche business, providing patient-specific formulations to satisfy individual needs. Because commercially available drugs are marketed almost exclusively for humans, compounding has become an essential resource for veterinary medicine. Veterinarians often depend on 503A pharmacies to provide preparations at lower concentrations and in more palatable dosage forms to optimize treatment for their patients. However, without proper management and regulations, 503A compounding can potentially be detrimental. Presently, 503A pharmacies are not required to adhere to Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) objectives put forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure pharmaceuticals achieve a specified standard of safety. The quality of products produced in a 503A facility depend on the pharmacy's voluntary conformance with cGMP, which can be substantially cost-prohibitive, requiring anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000-plus of investment for a single formulation. Testing on raw materials and finished products may be performed to an extent depending on the facility, but the data are often incomplete, testing only one or two factors while omitting others that would affect the product's overall quality. The variability of cGMP compliance from pharmacy to pharmacy paves the way for omissions in procedures that can lead to patient harm. …
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PIJAC releases resource to combat antimicrobial resistance health risksMarch 25, 2019The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) has released a set of recommendations for antibiotic management and combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in companion animals. The resource includes a set of principles for all sectors of the pet care community with an emphasis on those involved with breeding, rearing, transport, and the sale of companion animals, as well as those who work with products where antibiotics regularly intersect with animals. The principles provide advice and best management practices on matters such as the use of antibiotics, sanitation, hygiene, veterinary oversight, and zoonotic disease prevention. "PIJAC is proud to have served as the pet industry's liaison on public health issues and zoonotic disease prevention for over a decade through our memorandum of understanding with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)," says PIJAC president and CEO, Mike Bober. "These recommendations are another demonstration of PIJAC and the pet care community's commitment to promoting the health and well-being of animals and humans alike." The CDC estimates two million people are infected with resistant strains of bacteria and 23,000 deaths result from antibiotic resistance in the U.S. annually. Campylobacter and Salmonella are two common bacteria types, which have resistant strains and are …
2019 World Veterinary Day highlights the value of vaccinesMarch 12, 2019Vaccines are critical to animal health, which is why this year World Veterinary Day (WVD) is focusing on the value of vaccination. Created by the World Veterinary Association (WVA) in 2000, WVD reminds pet owners of the importance of animal care, and how veterinarians and their teams can help. According to the WVA, vaccines are an essential tool for preventive veterinary medicine, promotion of animal health and welfare, and reducing the risk of human exposure to many zoonotic pathogens. Vaccination programs can reduce the need for antimicrobials, and in turn, decreases the risk of emergent antimicrobial resistance. According to WVA and HealthforAnimals, it is vital for the global veterinary profession to educate the public, particularly animal owners and producers, about the benefits of vaccination for animal, human, and public health. This year, WVD takes place on April 27.
Iowa police officer charged with stealing narcotics from veterinary clinicFebruary 14, 2019An Iowa police officer has been charged with stealing drugs from a local veterinary clinic.
Couple alleges clinic killed their cat with incorrect doseJanuary 31, 2019A couple is suing a Queens-based veterinary clinic for allegedly prescribing a high dose of medication to a cat by mistake, causing it to pass away.
Treating pain without pain medicationsJanuary 15, 2019Most of us will reach for pain medications to treat pain. That’s logical enough. In some situations (see the box on the opposite page), it is important to be resourceful and to be able to offer nonpharmaceutical pain relief, in addition to or instead of traditional chemical help.
Companies partner to perform trials of antimicrobial topical treatmentJanuary 9, 2019Stonehaven Incubate and antimicrobial protein specialist Lysando have agreed to jointly conduct proof-of-concept trials for new topical treatments based on Artilysin, a new antimicrobial platform technology.
FDA reports decline in antimicrobial sales for food-producing animalsJanuary 7, 2019Domestic sales and distribution of all medically important antimicrobials intended for use in food-producing animals have decreased by 33 percent between 2016 and 2017.
Partnership to provide prescription home delivery service to pet ownersDecember 27, 2018LifeLearn Animal Health has integrated its WebDVM custom websites with Vetsource’s home delivery program to enable clients to make purchases through their veterinarian’s online store and have products shipped directly to their door.
Dangerous superbugs found in pork across multiple countriesDecember 21, 2018World Animal Protection (WAP) tested pork from the shelves of supermarkets in Australia, Brazil, Spain, and Thailand, finding ‘superbugs’ in three of the four countries.
