The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a new Guidance for Industry document addressing the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) regulation. Guidline No. 120 provides direction on the issuance of a VFD for the administration of tilmicosin and florfenicol in swine feed.
Prior to 1996, FDA had only two options for regulating the distribution of animal drugs: 1) over-the-counter (OTC), and 2) prescription. The agency determined certain new animal drugs, vital to animal health, should be approved for use in animal feed but only if these medicated feeds were administered under a veterinarian’s order and professional supervision. The VFD category was developed to maintain public health protection while allowing producers to obtain needed drugs efficiently and cost effectively.
A VFD can only be issued by an "appropriately licensed" veterinarian. This guidance document defines "appropriately licensed" to mean that the veterinarian has a valid license to practice veterinary medicine in the State in which the animals are located that he/she is treating within the confines of a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship.
The guidance also allows for the issuance of a VFD via fax or over the internet if these technologies are in compliance with Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11. The medicated feed distributor must receive an original signed VFD order within 5 working days of receipt of the facsimile or electronic document. Telephone orders are not allowed. It is the veterinarian’s obligation to assure that the original VFD order is distributed to the feed distributor with the timeliness required.
Guideline No. 120 goes on to further outline the responsibilities of the veterinarian, producer and feed mill/distributor relative to the prescribing, manufacture and administration of medicated feeds requiring a VFD.