The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to nine manufacturers and distributors of drugs used to prevent infectious diseases in pets that their antimicrobial treatments may cause resistance to medications used to treat infectious diseases in humans.
According to the agency, the products contain antimicrobials that are beneficial to human health. The FDA stated in a news release that using the drugs may contribute to resistance, which allows microbes like bacteria to become resistant to the drugs designed to kill them.
“These unapproved animal drugs pose a two-fold risk to public health,” Tracey Forfa, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in a statement. “First, these products haven’t been through the FDA drug review process, and we don’t know whether they’re safe or effective, or even contain what the label states. Second, inappropriate use of medically important antimicrobials contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistance, which affects both human and animal health.”
The FDA issued the letters to these companies:
- American Aquarium Products
- Aquanest Biotic
- Aquarium Pharmacy LLC
- California Veterinary Supply
- Chewy Inc.
- Kraft Drug
- Midland Veterinary Services LLC
- Silver Lease LLC
- Valley Veterinary Clinic LTD
According to the FDA, these companies’ animal drugs contained antimicrobials important for human medicine such as amoxicillin, penicillin, tetracycline, and erythromycin. The products were illegally sold over the counter, despite the fact that approved animal drugs containing these antimicrobials are only legally available through a licensed veterinarian’s prescription.
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The FDA also stated that using unapproved animal drugs in humans is risky because these products have not been reviewed by federal regulators. Animal drugs are not the same as those used in humans.
People who use or administer these drugs discard the products, the FDA said. For an accurate diagnosis and treatment, pet owners should consult a licensed veterinarian as well as a licensed health care provider.
The FDA urged people to report any adverse human or animal effects associated with the products at https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/report-problem/how-report-animal-drug-and-device-side-effects-and-product-problems.
