From the State Vet’s Office

YOU’LL NEED A PRESCRIPTION FOR THAT

CHANGES COMING TO FOOD ANIMAL ANTIBIOTICS

BY DR. TONY FRAZIER

I have been around veterinary medicine for what might be considered a long time in some circles. I have seen a lot of changes in my 34 years in this profession. I believe most of the changes we have seen have moved veterinary medicine in a positive direction. Maybe the area I have seen the most changes has been in pharmaceuticals. Newer, more efficient and safer drugs have replaced less efficient drugs that had narrower margins of safety and were often less effective. Most of those changes have come and gone without any reason for the consumer to be aware of them. However, over the past several years, antibiotics have been in the spotlight when it comes to their use in food animals. As that situation continues to evolve, there are more changes coming in the area of food animal antibiotics that will affect many producers.

I have always been and will always be an advocate and a cheerleader for the judicious use of antibiotics. But, as a veterinarian, I took an oath to “use my scientific knowledge and skills … for the relief of animal suffering.” I always wonder where that puts us if we support the “no antibiotics ever” marketing concept of food animals. Recently, I saw an article on the internet that highlighted five national fast-food

chains that have not banned the use of antibiotics in the beef and poultry used in their products. The article was intended to cast a bad light on those fast-food chains and probably to try to hurt their business. The article had the opposite effect on me. In my estimation, those organizations care about the welfare of the animals that would ultimately end up on their menu. It made me want purchase from those chains as often as possible.

We hear a lot about “the science” nowadays. But it seems to me that “the science” is whatever supports a person’s point of view. As someone once told me, there is a big difference between real science and political science. That is another story for another day. But there is a tremendous amount of true science that supports the judicious use of antibiotics. The studies of antibiotic withdrawal times and correct dosages and antibiotic residue testing have supported the judicious use of antibiotics in food animals when it relieved animal suffering and was medically necessary.

On Jan. 1, 2017, the updated Veterinary Feed Directive took effect. It made it necessary to have a veterinarian involved in the prescribing of antimicrobials used in feed for food animals that were medically important to humans and animals. This also restricted the low-level use of certain antibiotics used as growth promotants. Studies have shown that constant exposure of bacteria to sublethal doses of antibiotics tend to enhance antibiotic resistance. The accepted philosophy of judicious use of antibiotics is to use the proper dose of the proper antibiotic that is lethal to the pathogenic bacteria for the shortest time necessary.

So today we find ourselves at another landmark in the use of antibiotics in food animals. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of moving some commonly used over-the-counter antibiotics into the category that requires a prescription from a veterinarian. Two of these drugs that are commonly available are penicillins and tetracyclines. These antimicrobial drugs have been approved for many years for certain diseases in livestock and the injectables could be purchased over-the-counter without a prescription. FDA is in the process of having these medically important drugs available by prescription only.

It is probably worth looking at how we got to this point. And for the record, I am not against this move for reasons I will explain a in a paragraph or two. When I began practicing in the late 1980s, it was not uncommon for me to go on a farm call to see a sick animal that had been treated with an over-the-counter medication, but not in accordance with the label – either by using the wrong dosage or only giving one injection when the directions said to treat until fever subsided.

Also, when I began my job with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, it was not uncommon for me to have to visit a producer who had sold an animal that had been treated with antibiotics. And without observing a withdrawal period, the animal ended up at slaughter and tested positive for antibiotics. Then there were certain hoops that had to be jumped through to assure that the producer observed the specified withdrawal times in the future. One of the hoops was educating the producer. Apparently, education has been effective because there has been a significant decline over the years of drug residues being found and carcasses being condemned for that reason.

In a perfect world the use of over-the-counter antibiotic use would always follow the label instructions. Also, in a perfect world, drug withdrawal times would be observed, and drug residues wouldn’t be an issue. Of course, in a perfect world, animals wouldn’t get sick and you wouldn’t need veterinarians. Let’s just say in a nearer perfect world those things would occur.

As an advocate for animal agriculture, I realize we must address consumer concerns. Whether it is animal welfare or the use of antibiotics, we cannot ignore the concerns of the consumer. I believe by moving these antibiotics into a prescription-only category, it gives the consuming public, who knows nothing about animal production, an added layer of confidence that we, veterinarians and producers, are looking out for them. It does not mean that producers cannot obtain and use these antibiotics. It just means that there will be a veterinarian involved in the judicious use of these drugs so that we are able to fulfill another part of our veterinary oath: “the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.”

I remember back in my early days of practice that, for some reason, penicillin had become a little hard to obtain. It was some global thing and it eventually got worked out. Anyway, one day I was complaining to my employer and mentor, Dr. Tommy Little, about not having the antibiotic I wanted to use to treat a certain disease. I still remember his response.

“Son,” he said, “when you figure out how to get these animals well without drugs, then you can consider yourself a good veterinarian.” I thought he was joking. It now seems he was just a few decades ahead of his time.