On Jan. 1, 2017, certain antimicrobial drugs of human medical importance will change marketing status from over-the-counter to Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD). The American Feed Industry Association supports the judicious use of antimicrobial drugs and is working to ensure members are prepared for the upcoming change. AFIA is notifying members of new resources available to help ensure all groups are fully prepared to comply with the VFD rule.
Through recent efforts within the industry, there have been many resources and trainings for veterinarians and feed distributors. Much of this information has not been disseminated to the small producers and feed distributors, however. The Farm Foundation, NPF has partnered with the Animal Health Institute (AHI) to develop educational resources for producers, feed distributors and veterinarians. The first resource is a website containing educational materials from various sources.
The Farm Foundation and AHI have a campaign to inform farmers and ranchers of the pending changes. Information is disseminated through a series of informational radio interviews circulated through the news service of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters.
A point-of-sale card has been created, which is designed to alert producers of the Jan. 1, deadline and the need to prepare. The card refers people to the website for more detailed information. It can be placed in the feed section and/or at a checkout counter and is available in three formats:
- Prints one card
- Print two cards per page
Word file of the information, to which the retailer can add a company name and/or logo; can also be copied into an email message.
Used with permission by AFIA.