Eric D - Comment

Document ID: FDA-2010-D-0094-0008
Document Type: Public Submission
Agency: Food And Drug Administration
Received Date: June 29 2010, at 12:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Date Posted: June 30 2010, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Comment Start Date: June 29 2010, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Comment Due Date: August 30 2010, at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time
Tracking Number: 80b0de47
View Document:

This is comment on Notice

Draft Guidance: Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs in Food-Producing Animals; Availability

View Comment

I strongly support the proposed guidance. The overuse of antimicrobial drugs causes bacteria to develop immunity to these drugs. As a result, more than one million American hospital patients will acquire drug-resistant bacterial infections this year, leading to longer, more expensive hospitalizations. This is estimated to cost somewhere between 4 and 5 billion dollars/year, driving up the cost of health care. Furthermore, according the Congressional Research Service, some of our foreign trading partners have implemented bans and restrictions on the use of these drugs due to these concerns. This has the potential to impact export of our agricultural products to these nations, should restrictions be placed on animals given for non-therapeutic purposes. Sources: Congressional Research Service & Louise M Slaughter, microbiologist