Revisiting the Veterinary Feed Directive one year later

When stricter federal guidelines on the use of some antibiotics for food animals went into effect last year, producers all over the nation, including Jerry Meek in Ada, had a decision to make. Should he spend the time and money to get a Veterinarian Feed Directive authorization from his veterinarian to continue treating his herd of about 30 cows? The tightened guidelines, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2017, require producers to obtain authorization from a veterinarian to purchase medically important antibiotics, or medications important to treating human diseases and give them to food animals through feed and drinking water.Previously these drugs could be purchased over-the-counter, however, the FDA made the change to better track the use of antibiotics out of a concern for antimicrobial resistance.