Please ban the law that states we need to go through a vet to purchase simple antibiotics for our livestock. This has greatly impacted small farms from being able to cost effectively treat their livestock.
Starting June 11, 2023, animal owners will be required to have a veterinary prescription to purchase antibiotics. Antibiotics will have to be purchased from a licensed pharmacy. They will no longer be available for purchase over the counter. Feed stores will have to be licensed to accept prescriptions.
9 Likes
Agreed, this is an unwarranted overreach of the fed to put farmers, ranchers, and livestock growers out of business. Corporations have taken over veterinary practices and through that, animals have suffered needlessly all for corporate greed. My daughter Yorkie died once in the vets office, they resuscitated her and brought her back out so my daughter could watch her die a second time so they could charge her $500.00 for the privilege. This has to end.
5 Likes
Is there a way to reword the title for this policy? Simply because this is NOT getting the attention it NEEDS! I came on here to look for this very thing and planned to post if I couldn’t find it. Took me a bit to find this one. As such, if I may, will include as much information as I can and personal experiences as to why this needs to be repealed, to help voters to understand what we’re asking. OP is more than welcome to copy/paste any and all of what I have posted into the original post.
The FDA Guidance that this is listed as is #263 and addresses the injectable and oral versions of products; such as penicillin, tetracycline, and sulfa based products. That includes but, is by no means limited to:
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Oxytetracyclines
- Injectables: Liquamycin LA-200, Noromycin 300 LA, Bio-Mycin 200, Agrimycin 200, etc.
- Boluses: Terramycin Scours Tablets, OXY 500 Calf Boluses
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Penicillins (Penicillin G procaine, penicillin G benzathine)
- Injectables: Penicillin Injectable, Dura-Pen, Pro-Pen-G, Combi-Pen 48, etc.
- Intramammary tubes: Masti-Clear, Go-dry, Albadry Plus
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Sulfa-based antibiotics (Sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethazine)
- Injectables: Di-Methox 40%, SulfMed 40%
- Boluses: Albon, Sustain III Cattle & Calf Boluses, Supra Sulfa III Cattle & Calf Boluses
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Tylosin
- Injectables: Tylan 50, Tylan 200
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Cephapirin, cephapirin benzathine
- Intramammary tubes: ToDAY and ToMORROW
Additionally, several swine medications fall under the new guidance:
- Lincomycin
- Injectables: Lincomix 100, Lincomix 300, LincoMed 100, LincoMed 300
- Gentamicin
- Injectables: Garasol, Gentamicin Piglet Injection
FDA removed these products from the shelves of feed stores, agricultural stores, and online sales. The only way to obtain any of these, is through a prescription made by your local Vet, made based on your Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship, or VCPR. In which, most cases, you have to have an established relationship with your vet for that specific animal. In Nebraska’s case, you have to have 2 YEARS of records with the vet for EACH INDIVIDUAL ANIMAL. That becomes extremely pricy, very quickly. Small time farmers and homesteaders, like me, don’t take our livestock to the Vet for check ups. In some places, like mine, the nearest Livestock vet is 4 hours away, and charges $300 per animal if he has to come out. That’s not including treatments and such if the animal is sick. This gets expensive FAST and most can’t afford it.
Before this act was established, I used to see that my goats would become sick and go buy a bottle of Tylan 200 for $50. Animals would be treated and the dates marked on the calendar. Milk would be dumped out for the next month, and meat goats would not be processed until 6 weeks later. This was just a part of my life. This past year, I lost some of my herd to Tetenus. Something I could have treated with Penicillin. Because of Guidance #263, my choices were call a vet and spend close to $800 per goat, or put them out of their misery. Those were my choices. And I could not afford the Vet. If the penicillin had been available, I could have spent the $40 to buy it and have saved my herd.
I work at a MAJOR feed store that used to sell the antibiotics that Guidance #263 removed from the shelves. I used to help customers determine the right antibiotic and dosage for their animals. I see 4H and FFA kids come charging in later and thank me for helping to save their pets and project animals, because these life saving antibiotics were readily available and affordable. Now people come in and ask me what they can do or what to give; and all I can tell them is to Pray. Pray or call a vet if you can afford it. I’ve had young and old farmers come to me, looking for these antibiotics, and I’ve had to tell them we no longer can sell them because of this act. I’ve had to comfort many grieving adults and children because my store no longer could carry these products, that could save their animals and livestock; and they could not afford a vet.
FDA Guidance #263 NEEDS to be abolished as it is CRUSHING a huge community of people across multiple generations and is destroying the hopes and dreams of many small farmers and homesteaders.
6 Likes
Not just for animals… humans also. Why can’t safe Antibiotics be sold over the counter to adults? Maybe give an online test first - not rocket science. They have to show that they passed the test before purchase. Similar to showing an ID for cigarettes. If adults can buy cigarettes, alcohol, and pot they should be able to get basic antibiotics without having to wait days for an appointment and having to pay upwards of hundreds of dollars for the visit? Not to mention it would likely save a ton of money. How we do things make no sense. Big Pharma and their web of scam, needs to end.
Please let me know if you agree - if you do, please add this to your policy and rename the policy. If not I want to make a separate policy. Tired of waiting 3 days for doctor appointments for simple things like earache, tooth, or UTI antibiotics.
We have a small cattle ranch in Florida. There are zero vets that will come to us. Please abolish this rule so that farmers and ranchers may treat and care for their animals again.
All antibiotics should be available OTC. Baytril, exced, draxxin, ALL OF IT. while you’re at it, banamine, and bute. Thank you.