Prescription required for certain bee related drugs

[ski]

Got this from the Bee Culture daily E-mail:

The only one I have tried to use was the Fumagilin B and by the time I got it there was a flow on and the bees didn't take it. But they did just fine without it.


From I. Barton Smith, Entomologist, USDA Honey Bee Research Lab, Beltsville, MD


On December 11, 2013, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implemented a plan to help phase out the use of medically important antimicrobials in food animals for food production purposes, such as to enhance growth or improve feed efficiency. The plan would also phase in veterinary oversight of the remaining appropriate therapeutic uses of such drugs. See http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/New ... 378166.htm

Implementation will require a beekeeper to get a prescription or veterinarian feed directive (VFD) from a veterinarian who has a “Veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR)” with the beekeeper in order to purchase and feed antibiotics to honey bees for the prevention and control of American and European foulbrood diseases. A list of drugs affected by this plan can be found at: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/Saf ... 390429.htm

It should be noted that the list includes oxytetracycline (Terramycin), lincomycin (Lincomix) and tylosin (Tylan) which were over the counter drugs labeled for controlling American foulbrood (AFB) in honey bee colonies. Oxytetracycline was also labeled for preventing AFB, and for the control and prevention of European foulbrood.

The FDA has been working with companies that produce antibiotics to make label changes on their products. During 2014, Elanco Animal Health changed the label for Tylan Soluble Powder to be prescription only. (Most existing stock of the over-the-counter product in the U.S. has been sold out and is no longer available at the time of this writing – 8-2015.) A copy of the new label can be viewed at http://www.elanco.us/labels/Swine/Tylan_Soluble.pdf

Zoetis, the maker of Lincomix, still has the product labeled for sale over-the-counter. See the attached pdf file. This product will be changed to prescription only before or by the end of 2016. (An exact time-line for the change has not been determined.)

On June 2, 2015, the FDA announced the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) final rule. See http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/New ... 448620.htm Drugs included under the VFD will require a veterinarian to write a VFD for a producer that will allow that person to purchase and use the product specifically as written. This will include oxytetracycline.

Prescription drugs for bees can only be obtained from a local or on-line pharmacy. Additionally, drugs included in the VFD may only be obtained from a licensed medicated feed mill.

At the time of this writing (8-2015), it is unclear if Fumagilin B will be subject to the new requirements.

From I. Barton Smith, Entomologist, USDA Honey Bee Research Lab, Beltsville, MD

[donwal]

Read this article today on the new regulations from the FDA. Are really going to have to find a vet for our honey bees?

Tell me this is not so.


http://www.pressherald.com/2016/08/21/m ... ral-rules/

[ski]

If I am reading it correctly it will only apply to antibiotics like we use for AFB and Nosema and not to anything we buy for mite treatments.

I guess if your bees get sick you can put about a half a cup (300 bees), that should be a good sample, in a box go to your vets off and ask for a prescription or you will turn them loose in the waiting area.
I wonder how it is going to work. Maybe The state Inspectors will be involved.
The restriction may be a good thing as some commercial beekeepers use antibiotics on a regular schedule whether its needed or not.

[donwal]

Does the new law still include honey bees?

[Jacobs]

I found this Q & A on the Ohio State Beekeepers Association site.

http://www.ohiostatebeekeepers.org/reso ... oney-bees/

I don't know if anything has changed the information. If you call your bee supply company and they don't have it or won't sell it over the counter, then you have your answer.

I can see the need for antibiotics for healthy hives in a bee yard as a preventative where AFB has been found. Since antibiotics do not cure, but mask AFB symptoms, antibiotics in an AFB hive would be bad news in my opinion. Burning the bad equipment or the ethylene oxide fumigation chamber remain the only 2 good options for AFB equipment.