FDA Delivers Progress Update on 5-Year Veterinary Stewardship Plan, Publishes Report about Antimicrobial Sales, Use, and Resistance Data in Animal Agriculture
June 30, 2022
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) released both a status update on Phase I of its five-year action plan for Supporting Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Settings as well as a report to describe some of the data that FDA and federal partners collect regarding antimicrobial sales, use, and resistance in U.S. animal agriculture and the related food chain.
Phase I Progress Report
The progress report on the five-year action plan reveals that of the 24 actions laid out for Phase I, FDA has completed 21 – an 88 percent success rate for implementing the plan in the years 2019-2021. For the items that have not yet been completed, FDA plans to continue pursuing them along with the other initiatives in Phase II.
For Phase II, FDA is focusing on important items such as implementing GFI #263, solidifying an approach for defining durations of use, building an approach for collecting data on antimicrobial use in food-producing animals, and continuing to advance AMR surveillance and monitoring programs through the activities outlines in the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Strategic Plan.
The Phase I report showcases efforts and accomplishments in antimicrobial stewardship that are made possible when research, surveillance, policy, and communication align. The progress of the plan thus far is a result of collaboration with antimicrobial drug sponsors, the animal agriculture industry, researchers, state and federal partners, as well as international and consumer organizations, who all share the common goal of promoting antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary settings. In Phase II and beyond, FDA remains committed to working with interested stakeholders as it continues efforts to protect public health and mitigate the development of antimicrobial resistance.
Report: Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Animal Agriculture in the United States (2016-2019)
The report, entitled “Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Animal Agriculture in the United States,” is the first report prepared by FDA to describe current U.S. government monitoring and surveillance systems for antimicrobial sales, use, and resistance in animal agriculture and the related food chain. The issuance of this report fulfills one of the actions from CVM’s five-year plan. It cites publicly available data from 2016 to 2019 and details recent progress made and continued plans for promoting and supporting antimicrobial stewardship in animal agriculture. The report and its executive summary provide data on medically important antimicrobial sales (including sales adjusted by a biomass denominator), use, and resistance as tracked by existing federal programs for each of the four major food-producing species (cattle, swine, chickens, turkeys).
The report is not intended to be an exhaustive review of all antimicrobial resistance-related activities in which the U.S. government is involved, but rather focuses on activities in which FDA-CVM plays a role. The report also references some activities of federal partners such as the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Health Monitoring System and National Animal Health Laboratory Network. This information provides a snapshot in time following the implementation of GFI #213, which transitioned medically important antimicrobials to veterinary oversight and made it illegal to use these products for production purposes.
Monitoring and reporting trends related to the use of antimicrobials in animals continues to be a priority for the agency. FDA will continue to work with stakeholders on approaches for enhancing the collection and reporting of use data as part of FDA’s efforts to support antimicrobial stewardship in animals.
Additional Information
Report: Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Animal Agriculture in the United States (2016-2019)
Supporting Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Settings: Goals for FY 2019 - FY 2023
FDA-TRACK: Progress on FDA’s Support of Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Settings
Issued by FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine.
For questions, Contact CVM.