211242 Policy actions to limit antibiotic use in agriculture and keep antibiotics working

Monday, November 9, 2009: 11:30 AM

Margaret Mellon, PhD , Director, Food & Environment Program, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, DC
     
A variety of antibiotics and antimicrobial drugs are used in animal agriculture for purposes of growth promotion and prophylaxis as well as treatment of disease. An estimated 70 percent of all antibiotics and related drugs produced in the United States are administered non-therapeutically in the feed and water of animals raised for food. Many of these are the same or closely related to medically important drugs. The American Medical Association and other public health organizations support policy actions to limit such uses and preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics in human medicine. This presentation will update the status of FDA actions regarding the approval of cephalosporins for use in cattle, the ban on extra-label use of cephalosporins, and the review of penicillin use in food animal production. It will also discuss the status and merits of the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), proposed federal legislation to limit antibiotic use in animal agriculture.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify recent and pending Food and Drug Administration actions related to antibiotic use in animals 2. Evaluate proposed federal legislation to limit the use of medically important antibiotics in agriculture.

Keywords: Antimicrobial Drugs, Public Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As Senior Scientist and Director of the Food & Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, I have studied the issue of antibiotic use in animal agriculture extensively, and co-authored "Hogging It!: Estimates of Antimicrobial Abuse in Livestock." I hold a doctorate in molecular biology and a law degree from the University of Virginia.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: MRSA and Antibiotic Use in Animal Agriculture: An Emerging Health Threat Down on the Farm - JOINTLY SPONSORED BY ENVIRONMENT AND FOOD/NUTRITION
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