Please contact site owner for help.We acknowledge the generous support of the USDA NIFA CARE programIf you have trouble accessing this page and need to request an alternate format, contact The content of this site contains information pertaining to The Ohio State University. Cattle, and all other livestock, will soon require a vet’s prescription for injectable antibiotics. This document is subject to copyright. Photo courtesy AgriLife Extension No longer will producers who need injectable antibiotics for their cattle be able to just grab them at their local feed store or order them online. Producers who need injectable antibiotics for their cattle won’t soon be able to just grab them at their local feed store or order them online. This is a step in the right direction to protect these valuable compounds to prevent diseases. A prescription is already required for most antibiotics delivered to livestock, and the remaining three categories of injectable antibiotics available over-the-counter will soon be joining the list of medically important antimicrobials that require a veterinarian’s prescription. No longer will producers who need injectable antibiotics for their cattle be able to just grab them at their local feed store or order them online. by No longer will producers who need injectable antibiotics for their cattle be able to grab them at their local feed store or order them online.
In 2018, the FDA published a five-year plan for phasing out all antibiotics without a veterinarian's prescription.


The plan should be fully implemented by 2023, although compliance is expected as soon as 2020. Photo courtesy AgriLife Extension No longer will producers who need injectable antibiotics for their cattle be able to just grab them at their local feed store or order them online. People should also be aware that these laws apply to companion animals like horses.“This means that your veterinarian knows who you are, knows the kind of livestock you are raising and what you are doing with them, understands your management, and that you agree if they come out to diagnose an illness and use an antimicrobial to treat a disease or illness, you will follow their directions including dosage, duration and withdrawal,” he said.The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine stated a two-year phase-in period would be allowed once the FDA Government Guidance document is finalized. Completely spam free, opt out any time. (AgriLife Extension photo) No longer will producers who need injectable antibiotics for their cattle be able to just grab them at their local feed store or order them online. Links and all references to outside content do not constitute (i) incorporation by reference of information contained on or in such outside content and such information should not be considered part of U.OSU.EDU or (ii) endorsement of such content by The Ohio State University.Supporting Ohio sheep producers by providing educational information, sheep research conducted at Ohio State, resources, and contact information for leaders in Ohio's sheep industry. The plan should be fully implemented by 2023, although compliance is expected as soon as 2020.Since some antibiotics are used in both livestock and humans, the FDA’s concern is that antibiotic-resistant bacteria could develop more quickly from the widespread use of certain antibiotics that are medically important to humans – negatively affecting both humans and animals.“Antibiotic resistance is not new, penicillin was discovered in the late 1920s and widely used in humans by the 1940s,” said Paschal. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wants producers to be aware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is continuing the phasing in … Susan Himes, Communications Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension ServiceNo longer will producers who need injectable antibiotics for their [livestock] be able to just grab them at their local feed store or order them online.“It will cause a little bit of difficulty because producers who want and need to use antibiotics are going to have to work with their beef cattle or livestock veterinarians and develop a veterinary client-patient relationship in advance of any disease issues,” said Joe Paschal, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension livestock specialist, Corpus Christi.Paschal recommends producers should, if they haven’t already, develop a relationship with a local veterinarian to be prepared for these changes. "The producers I've spoken with don't seem concerned that these remaining injectables will now require a prescription too." This is a step in the right direction to protect these valuable compounds to prevent diseases.”The greater the use of antibiotics, across all species, the greater the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria or “superbugs” that can develop.“Although the percentage of antibiotics used in agriculture is declining, we want to continue to use them judiciously and intelligently,” said Hairgrove.