NGFA Generally Supports FDA Rules on Vet Feed Drugs

October 11, 1999

The National Grain and Feed Association generally supports the Food and Drug Administration's proposed regulations to implement the veterinary feed directive (VFD) drugs section of the Animal Drug Availability Act.

Animal drugs not classified as over the counter are included in the new category under the veterinary feed directive. The directive is exempt from pharmacy laws of certain states that apply to dispensing prescription drugs. The NGFA terms the state laws "onerous."

"The pharmacy laws of a significant number of states prohibit feed manufacturers from possessing and dispensing prescription animal drugs and medicated feeds containing prescription drugs," says NGFA. Still other state laws require a pharmacist at facilities that manufacture feds containing prescription drugs.

In its statement, the NGFA urged FDA to amend its regulations to require the veterinarian to provide all the information required on the VFD before it is considered to be valid and to take action against veterinarians who consistently fail to provide complete VFD information to feed mills and other feed distributors by revoking their privilege to issue VFD drug orders.

To help ensure the transmission of complete VFD drug order information, the NGFA supported FDA's proposal that drug manufacturers submit a VFD form as part of the new animal drug application for each VFD drug and that veterinarians use the forms to convey the information that FDA requires be included on VFDs.

In addition, the NGFA urged FDA to prohibit telephonic transmission of VFD orderes from vets to feed mills or other distributors of VFD feeds because of the risk of fraud and/or inaccurate or incomplete transmission of VFD information. NGFA also opposed transmitting the orders by electronic mail unless there were assurances that the transmissions would contain complete information.