Want the recipe for a VFD? Here are 14 key ingredients
Issuing a veterinary feed directive (VFD) under FDA’s new rules involves more than just completing a form and sending it to the pork producer and distributor.
Veterinarians will need to have 14 key ingredients on hand to include in the VFD:[1]
- Veterinarian’s name, address, telephone number
- Client (pork producer or animal caretaker’s) name, business or home address, telephone number
- Premises where pigs specified in the VFD are located
- Date of VFD issuance
- Name of VFD drug
- The species and production class of animals (e.g., breeding, growing) to be fed the VFD feed
- Approximate number of pigs that will consume the VFD feed by the expiration date of the VFD
- Indication for using the VFD drug
- Level of VFD drug in the feed and its duration of use
- Withdrawal time, special instructions and cautionary statements needed for using the drug in conformance with the approval
- Number of refills authorized if permitted by the drug approval, conditional approval or index listing
- The statement: “Use of feed containing this veterinary feed directive (VFD) drug in a manner other than as directed on the labeling (extra-label use) is not permitted.”
- Affirmation of intent for combination VFD drugs
- Veterinarian’s electronic or written signature
Swine veterinarians can provide additional information at their discretion to more specifically identify pigs they authorize to receive a VFD medication in feed. For instance, they might include the location of pigs by site, pen or barn as well as the animals’ approximate age and weight.
In addition, veterinarians also need to indicate which, if any, FDA-approved combinations may be used as part of the VFD.
[1] #120 Guidance for Industry Small Entity Compliance Guide Veterinary Feed Directive Regulation Questions and Answers. FDA. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforcement/GuidanceforIndustry/UCM052660.pdf Accessed December 15, 2015.
Posted on October 17, 2016
