To meet the challenge of the misuse of antibiotics effectively, FDA must address the full range of nontherapeutic uses. Addressing only the growth promotion and feed efficiency uses of antibiotics, estimated by industry to be just 10 to 15 percent of the total, would make only a minor dent in the problem. Moreover, given the similarity in the way that antibiotics are used for growth promotion, feed efficiency, and disease prevention – all involve mixing drugs in feed at relatively low levels – it would be relatively easy for industry to recharacterize its growth promotion and feed efficiency uses as “disease prevention” to avoid any reductions at all.

This letter urges President Obama to support the FDA in its long overdue initiative to address the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture – including for routine disease prevention, as well as for growth promotion and feed efficiency – and to support the enactment of The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), which would enable the FDA to accomplish this crucial goal in a timely fashion with more efficient use of its overstretched scientific personnel.