The United States Food and Drug Administration has served
notice it wants to require antibiotic companies to provide data on sales and
distribution for all cattle, swine, chickens and turkeys.
The current rules call only for total sales; the proposal
would require a breakdown of sales by species.
The additional data would improve understanding of how
antimicrobials are sold or distributed for use in major food-producing animals
and help the FDA further target its efforts to make sure that medically
important antimicrobials are used judiciously, says the government.
“Consistent with data collection objectives outlined in the
... National Strategy for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, this
proposed rule is a step toward providing more detailed information to the FDA
and the public on changes in antimicrobial sales and distribution over time,”
said Michael R. Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine
for the FDA.
“We plan further actions to complete the task.”
While adding species-specific information will help provide
a fuller picture, more detailed information is needed about on-farm use
practices to adequately understand links between use patterns and trends in
resistance, the release said.
It seems the "further action" might come down to the individual farm level.
Would the FDA please consider doing the same for doctors, hospitals and their patients who have also been part of the problem giving rise to increased antibiotic resistance?
