“Ignorance of the law excuses no man from practicing it,” wrote, Addison Mizner, a 19th century architect. This quote is appropriate to Wes Ishmael’s article. It says many producers and some veterinarians are still unaware of how critical the veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) and veterinary feed directive (VFD) are to future production practices.
Source: Beef, February 2, 2016.
According to highlights gleaned from the report, Stewardship of Antimicrobial Drug Use in Food-Producing Animals, “There is a low level of awareness of the impending regulatory changes—particularly among livestock producers with small- to medium-sized operations. Many veterinarians are not aware of the impending changes.”
INSIGHTS: The VCPR is the foundation of the VFD. Historically, some representatives have gone around local or herd veterinarians. It is time for field personnel to help bring producers and veterinarians together. If you call on producers, be sure to identify the primary and secondary veterinary practices they routinely work with and call for emergencies or other procedures. Remind them it is critical to establish the VCPR in order to comply with VFD regulations.