Producers, vets prep for change to medication, paperwork

Randy Hilleman says he first heard of the new veterinary feed directive (VFD) policy earlier this year.  “I happened to be in the vet clinic not long after, and I asked about it,” he says. “I talked to our vet and figured we needed to get set up.”  Beginning Jan. 1, 2017, producers will no longer be able to use medications without veterinarian approval. Medically important drugs such as tetracycline will no longer be used as a growth promotant, according to guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Livestock producers should be in contact with their veterinarians so they are ready for the changes ahead, says Tom Burkgren, a veterinarian and executive director of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. Hilleman says he and other producers will need to make changes to comply with the new directive, but for most, it should not be a major issue. The paperwork will likely be the biggest headache, Hilleman says. “If I treat a pig, I write it on the board and that stays with them until they’re gone, but now we’re going to need to put it on paper,” he says. “We’ll just need another notebook or two.”