News
FDA’s emergency drug use for NWS needs prescriptions, record-keeping
A research veterinarian says the emergency use of certain animal drugs to combat New World Screwworm will require good recordkeeping and communication with the herd veterinarian.
Dr. Keith Poulsen with the Wisconsins Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory says the agency came out with extra label use for several different drugs, mostly in the Ivermectin class. “A veterinarian is going to use what we call the Animal Medicinal Drug Use and Care Act, or AMDUCA, and they will be able to, with a valid veterinary client-patient relationship, so your regular herd veterinarian can be able to prescribe drugs like this.”
Poulsen says these drugs will not be something farmers can get at their local farm supply stores, and he says some of the drugs FDA might allow for emergency use only have label instructions for dogs and cats and are not currently packaged for larger animals. “That means that we don’t have good data on if we’re going to see residue in meat or milk, or maybe it’s just not enough to have a label claim.”
Poulsen says states like Wisconsin will probably not need to have these drugs prescribed, but there are thousands of animals that are born up north, raised in the southwest, and transported back to their home farms for calving that might have been treated if the New World Screwworm flies cross into Texas. “Let’s say if you’re bringing in animals from states, or even importing them from countries that may have had off-label drug use like an Ivermectin in a lactating cow is that we need to be congnisant of any meat and milk withdrawls.”
Currently, there are no FDA-approved drugs for NWS in the United States, but the new Emergency Use Authorization can allow use of certain drug products that may be approved for other purposes, available in other countries, or not formally approved in the U.S.
AUDIO: Dr. Keith Poulsen discusses the HHS/FDA Emergency Use Authorization for New World Screwworms with Brownfield’s Larry Lee
It is comforting to hear that this is being addressed in Wisconsin, which has a data-driven history for decision-making.
Scott Solda
Art Installer Network