Upcoming Policy Change Governing Injectable Antibiotics Will Alter Their Use by Pig Farmers

Mark Estienne, Professor and Swine Research Physiologist, Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center – Virginia Tech, and VPC Board member, recently authored a new publication entitled, “Upcoming Policy Change Governing Injectable Antibiotics Will Alter Their Use by Pig Farmers”. 



As of June 11, 2023, injectable antibiotics commonly used by livestock farmers will no longer be available for over-the-counter purchase at farm supply stores, on-line, etc. The products will still be available, but will require a veterinary prescription for purchase. Because of the potential for producing food-animals such as pigs that increase antibiotic resistance in humans, in 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implemented new policies governing the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) [2]. This publication reviews the changes made in 2017, as well as introduces changes governing use of injectable antibiotics that will occur this year. Continue reading HERE.