B-1024: Veterinarian’s Role in Issuing Veterinary Feed Directives for Aquaculture Producers

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This presentation will discuss the impact of the regulations concerning a veterinarian’s role and the use of veterinary feed directive (VFD) drugs in aquaculture. A VFD is a written statement issued by a licensed veterinarian that authorizes the use of a VFD drug in animal feed, as required by the U.S. FDA for all medicated animal feeds. The FDA developed initial regulations for VFD drugs in 2000, and Aquaflor® became the first VFD aquaculture drug in 2005. From concern about resistance in antimicrobial drugs used in food animals, the FDA revised these regulations in 2015 to stipulate that all antimicrobial drugs used in aquaculture feed will transition from over-the-counter, to requiring a VFD, effective January 2017. After this date all medicated feeds used in aquatic animals produced for human consumption will require a veterinarian (who fully understands VFD regulations) to issue a VFD. 

Learning Objectives - participants will understand:

1. Why FDA developed the VFD regulations; 
2. What major provisions are contained in the revised FDA VFD regulations; 
3. What information is required, and what is optional, in issuing a VFD Order; 
4. What records must be retained after issuing VFD Orders. 

About the speaker: Dr. Patricia Gaunt is a professor of Aquatic Animal Health at the MSU CVM Fish Diagnostic Laboratory in Stoneville, MS where she has worked for 16 years. Her research is focused on fish health, toxicology and pharmacology. She performed pivotal studies with Aquaflor® (the first VFD aquaculture drug approved by FDA). She has served as an associate editor for Journal of Aquatic Animal Health since 2006, the AVMA Clinical Practitioners Advisory Committee (representing Aquaculture and Seafood Medicine - 2010-2013), and currently serves on AVMA's Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Committee.