Reworked antimicrobial resolution may go to House of Delegates

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — The New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association (NJVMA) and the Maine Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) are renewing calls for antimicrobial restrictions.

A resolution that is softer than its predecessor may be considered at the winter session of the House of Delegates.

The NJVMA attempted to get the resolution on the floor during the July House of Delegates meeting in New Orleans, but the measure fell short of the votes needed for discussion. The first version sought to encourage "the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to withdraw the approvals of all non-therapeutic uses of antimicrobials in food animals for growth promotion and feed efficiency."

The new version calls for the AVMA to seek input and support from the public, producers, feed manufacturers and other concerned groups in a concerted effort to encourage pharmaceutical companies to work with the FDA to delete growth promotion and/or feed efficiency claims from the labels of previously approved antimicrobial products (of human medical importance).

The veterinary groups want labels of such products to state that they are for use only by licensed veterinarians or under their order.

In addition, the newer version puts more emphasis on the doctor-client-patient relationship than the original.

The resolution, co-sponsored by the MVMA, still needs more co-sponsors, according to Dr. Bob Gordon, who drafted the first version and worked to reintroduce the second.

The NJVMA aims to introduce two additional resolutions, which would amend AVMA's bylaws.

Currently, when the House of Delegates takes action on a resolution, it can approve, disapprove or refer the item. When the House refers a matter to a council or committee, the bylaws specify those entities must report to the Executive Board, which can then take action.

"The Executive Board is essentially taking action on a matter sent to the House of Delegates," Gordon says.

The resolutions the NJVMA plans to introduce would require a clarification to the bylaws that state any matter introduced and considered by the House would be returned to the House for consideration after research and review from the entity to which it was referred.

The reason there are two amendments is that one addresses councils and the other addresses committees.