Antimicrobials

What are Antimicrobials?

Antimicrobials are therapeutic substances used to prevent or treat infections, including antibiotics, antifungals, antiseptics, antivirals, anti-parasitics, and disinfectants.

Producer-Veterinarian Collaboration

NPPC supports pork producers’ collaboration with veterinarians under a valid Veterinary Client-Patient Relationship to ensure judicious use of antimicrobials to protect animal and human health.

Antimicrobial Stewardship

NPPC supports increased antimicrobial stewardship programs that promote animal and human health, decrease antimicrobial resistance, and protect our food supply. NPPC opposes efforts undermine veterinarians’ ability to care for pigs, including mandated antimicrobial reductions.

Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR)

  • Swine herd medical decisions are made by a veterinarian and the producer/caretaker.
  • This working relationship – the veterinarian-client-patient relationship or VCPR – is critical when:
    • developing herd health plans
    • administering and monitoring treatments and vaccinations
    • monitoring and adjusting herd health strategies, and
    • developing a farm emergency preparedness plan.
  • The veterinarian’s tailored plan to meet individual herd health needs takes into consideration farm-specific factors such as the disease profile of the herd, as well as the type, age, and location of production and facilities.
  • Antimicrobials are sometimes used in a swine herd to help treat animals but are always used under a valid VCPR.
  • If a veterinarian has agreed to evaluate or medicate an animal, treatment instructions must be followed by the caretaker for the VCPR to remain valid.
    • It is illegal for a caretaker to administer an antimicrobial for any indication other than what is on the label unless prescribed or directed by a licensed veterinarian.
    • It is illegal for anyone, including a veterinarian, to administer feed grade antimicrobials in any manner other than what is specifically outlined on the label. If the caretaker does not follow a veterinarian’s instruction for treatment, the VCPR is no longer valid.
  • If a veterinarian accepts the responsibility for the administration of a drug under a VCPR, the veterinarian is also responsible for providing continued care, if needed. To initiate a general or a preliminary diagnosis, a veterinarian must have recently seen and is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the animal(s) by virtue of examination of the animal(s), recent diagnostic information for the herd, or by medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animal(s) are kept.
  • A mandated reduction in antimicrobials will compromise veterinarians’ ability to provide adequate care for pigs.
Producer and Vet with Pigs in Barn

On January 1, 2017, guidance went into effect from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration related to the use of medically important antibiotics in food and water.

This guidance focuses on those antibiotics that are considered important for treating human infection and are approved for use in feed and water of food animals.

Medically important antibiotics can no longer be used for nutritional efficiency in food animals, and the remaining therapeutic (prevention, control, and treatment) uses of these products have moved from their current over-the-counter availability to only available by veterinary feed directive for the feed or prescription for the water.

Our Commitment

  • Pork producers are committed to judicious and responsible use of antimicrobials and uses a veterinarian with a valid VPCR to make herd health decisions that may include using antimicrobials.
  • Access to antimicrobials is imperative to protect animal welfare and ensure safe and wholesome protein for consumers.
  • Pork producers and veterinarians are committed to safeguarding antimicrobials and limiting antimicrobial resistance, so that antimicrobials can be used for generations.
  • The swine industry collaborates on One Health – to optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems on a local, regional, national, and global level.

Our Practices

Pork Quality Assurance® Plus training and assessment addresses safe and appropriate antibiotic use. With careful guidance by veterinarians, the occurrence of antibiotic residue exceeding regulatory maximums in pork is very rare.

 

According to the FDA, sales of all medically important antimicrobials for use in food-producing animals decreased by 33% between 2016 and 2017.