What Guidance restricted the use of medically important antibiotics in food and water and therapeutic purposes only, and require authorization from a licensed veterinarian?

What Guidance restricted the use of medically important antibiotics in food and water and therapeutic purposes only, and require authorization from a licensed veterinarian?

• A. Guidance 213
• B. Guidance 209
• C. Guidance 211
• D. Guidance 215

Answer: (A)

Guidance 213 focuses on antimicrobial stewardship in food-producing animals by restricting the use of medically important antibiotics to therapeutic purposes only and requiring authorization from a licensed veterinarian. This guidance drove the shift away from growth promotion and toward veterinary oversight for all uses of these drugs, including administration through medicated feeds (under a Veterinary Feed Directive) and other administration routes like drinking water. In practice, it means that medically important antibiotics can be used in animals only when a veterinarian approves the specific use for treatment, control, or prevention of disease, not for growth promotion. The other guidance documents address related topics in broad terms of prudent use, but they do not specify this exact combination—therapeutic-only use with mandatory veterinary authorization through mechanisms like the Veterinary Feed Directive—as clearly as Guidance 213.

Guidance 213 focuses on antimicrobial stewardship in food-producing animals by restricting the use of medically important antibiotics to therapeutic purposes only and requiring authorization from a licensed veterinarian. This guidance drove the shift away from growth promotion and toward veterinary oversight for all uses of these drugs, including administration through medicated feeds (under a Veterinary Feed Directive) and other administration routes like drinking water. In practice, it means that medically important antibiotics can be used in animals only when a veterinarian approves the specific use for treatment, control, or prevention of disease, not for growth promotion. The other guidance documents address related topics in broad terms of prudent use, but they do not specify this exact combination—therapeutic-only use with mandatory veterinary authorization through mechanisms like the Veterinary Feed Directive—as clearly as Guidance 213.