How Do Swine Producers and Veterinarians Expect the VFD to Affect Their Business?

Many interviewed veterinarians indicated that their current recordkeeping practices will suffice for the new requirements and, therefore, they will not need to make any major adjustments. It is likely that veterinarians would have improved their capacity for electronic recordkeeping of VFDs and related documents since the final rule was published in June 2015. Veterinarians did express concern with the time commitment required for recordkeeping, saying that it will take time away from working with the producers and livestock. Among the eight veterinarians interviewed, two were “most concerned” with not gaining an obvious personal or business benefit from the policy change. One veterinarian expressed their concern by saying, “...it [the paperwork] takes time away from working with pigs and people in the barns… that is where I earn my keep for my clients.” The other six interviewed veterinarians were most concerned with the urgency between identification to treatment and possible consequences of an error in documentation. Three veterinarians expressed concern that producers will face challenges in treating livestock in an urgent manner. One veterinarian shared, “Timely diagnostics might hinder pig health.” The other three feared possible consequences of an error in documentation.As suggested by the interviewee’s responses, the VFD requirements are expected to cause a moderate burden for veterinarians. The use of an online VFD generation tool may ease some of this burden, as the smart engine technology can streamline the process and help ensure a VFD is in legal compliance. These services can also automatically e-mail copies to the producer and feed distributor once the VFD is generated, saving time in the process and ensuring all parties are in compliance.