AVMA@Work – American Veterinary Medical Association

I must emphasize the importance of contacting your Congressional representatives about H. R. 1406, the Fairness to Pet Owner’s Act.  It is redundant and unnecessary, and quite frankly insulting to me as a veterinarian.  It requires us, as doctors of veterinary medicine, to: provide a written prescription for every medication we would prescribe for an animal’s health [...]

On Monday, a district court in Florida issued a ruling that denied FDA’s request for an injunction to prohibit Franck’s Lab from compounding veterinary drugs from bulk active ingredients. There were some key points in the court’s ruling: In reviewing the legislative history of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the court believed that [...]

Ever wonder what the “NADA” number on a drug bottle means? Or who you should file a report with if a patient reacts adversely to a drug? Veterinarians utilize drugs every day in the course of their clinical practice, yet the way drugs are regulated by the government is a mystery to many veterinarians. We’ve worked with Food [...]

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association recently notified us that several veterinarians in Canada have reported dogs with Fanconi syndrome-like disease that may be associated with the consumption of chicken jerky treats manufactured in China. This mirrors the incidents reported in the United States in 2007 that were investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [...]

Follow federal drug rules. See FDA and the Veterinarian brochure for details, found on the FDA’s website. The AVMA has an FAQ on Extralabel Drug Use, as well as FAQs on Prescribing and Pharmacies for Pet Owners and Veterinarians. Use FDA-approved drugs. FDA has published an Unapproved Animal Drugs resource on its website. Also see FDA’s upcoming presentation at [...]

A special task force has drafted proposed revisions to the AVMA Model Veterinary Practice Act, after receiving about 1,000 comments from AVMA members and the public earlier this year. Proposed changes include additional recognition of  veterinary technician credentialing, clarifications of  “direct” and “indirect” supervision, modifying the “veterinarian-client-patient relationship” requirement, limited practice act exemptions for declared emergencies and providing [...]

The latest culprit in a serious foodborne outbreak in Europe is an unusually virulent strain of E. coli that has been linked to vegetables. There are no ties to animal or meat products that we know of…but of course, if anything new develops, have no doubt that AVMA will be at the forefront, armed with information as it becomes available, and ready to tackle any issues that come our way!