Veterinary Feed Directive

New Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) regulations were implemented on Jan. 1, 2017, by the FDA and required producers to get authorization from a veterinarian before purchasing and administering antibiotics that can also be used to treat human diseases for livestock.

To prepare for the use of Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) medications, it is recommended that producers go through a number of steps such as establishing a vet-client-patient relationship, planning for possible health challenges and making sure your record-keeping system is prepared to track VFDs. However, there may be alternative methods for disease prevention and control that can help minimize the use of medications subject to VFD regulations.

The new Veterinary Feed Directive, which went into effect January 1, has its own rules regarding recordkeeping for veterinarians, farmers and feed companies.

The new Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) has caused many changes for farmers, ranchers and their dealers this year, both in how they feed their animals and in how they keep track of their records. It is important that the industry as a whole maps out the issues and works together more closely to reduce any risk of errors or additional challenges in this process.

With the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD), dairy producers are concerned with what potential impact these regulations have on them and their operation. The quick answer to the concern is the impact of the VFD will be felt more than FSMA by dairy producers.