Veterinary Feed Directive — Establishing a Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship
By Kristin Lewis Hawkins
When the Veterinary Feed Directive rules (VFD) go into effect on Jan. 1, 2017, anyone wishing to purchase animal feed containing what the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) considers a medically important antimicrobial drug will be allowed to do so only under a veterinarian’s order and supervision. These rules will be explicitly stated on the label of those affected products and will not be available for over-the-counter purchase.
A veterinary feed directive, or order, is a written or electronic statement issued by a licensed veterinarian in the course of the veterinarian’s professional practice permitting the use of a VFD drug or combination VFD drug in or on animal feed. The VFD authorizes the client, who is the owner or caretaker of the animal or animals, to obtain and use animal feed bearing or containing a VFD drug.
In order for a veterinarian to issue a VFD, the law states that a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) must be in place regarding that animal or animals. This requires the veterinarian to make an in-person examination of the animal(s) to establish a basis of care that will allow for their educated assessment of any illnesses or conditions. This veterinarian will also maintain regular visits or checkups as needed to maintain and monitor the animal’s health.
This initial visit must be done in person. A valid VCPR cannot be established via the Internet, email or telephone. However, once a VCPR is in place, subsequent consultation by that veterinarian may be continued using whatever method everyone agrees to use or deems necessary.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, your veterinarian’s part of the VCPR involves:
- Making informed judgments about any medical conditions your animal or animals develop
- Accepting the responsibility for providing your animal with medical care
- Keeping a written record of the animal’s medical care
- Advising you about the benefits and risks of different treatment options
- Providing oversight of treatment and client compliance, which includes the owners’ follow-through on their recommendations and the outcome
- Helping you know how to get emergency care for the animal(s) if the need should arise
If you do not already have a regular veterinarian, now is an excellent time to find one. Ask friends, neighbors or the folks at your local livestock auction who they recommend or have used in the past. Call to schedule a few minutes to get together, shake hands and get acquainted. If they have a full schedule or know of someone closer to your ranch, they are usually your best source of information about fellow veterinarians and clinics.
After you have settled on which veterinarian to use, or if you already have one saved to your most called numbers on your cell phone, schedule an appointment to have them come out and examine your animals. We are all probably guilty of calling the vet much later in the game than we should have. This will give them the chance to get a good look at your animals when it’s not an emergency, which could mean the difference in spotting abnormalities or illness that much easier down the line.
There is no shame in having the vet come out to see you when you are not in a panic or a cow’s already down for the count. In fact, your vet may just thank you for giving him a bit of a breather from the usual emergency. This will give you the opportunity to discuss the VFD rules and agree on how you will both handle a situation that requires one. Do you both prefer good old paper or is electronic okay? Where will you be purchasing your feed? How long does it usually take the vet to call you back or come out to the place to examine an animal? These are the types of things you can get straightened out beforehand to save time and money down the road.
This would also be a good time to discuss a herd health plan. We are all too familiar with what to do when problems arise, but how frequently do you consider what you can do to prevent those wrecks in the first place? Your vet could have a few ideas on how you can improve biosecurity measures or suggest adjustments to nutrition or vaccination schedules that might tip the scales in your favor.
Your veterinarian is there to help your operation in both good times and bad. They are also a wealth of information at your fingertips.
If there is some good to come out of the VFD regulations looming on the horizon, it may be that it allows you to get to know your vet just a little better.
I’m sure they might even like a Christmas card. -TC
“Veterinary Feed Directive — Vetrinary-Client-Patient Relationship” is from the October 2016 issue of The Cattleman magazine.