



Agricultural antibiotics can still be prescribed for disease prevention, and that's not a problem as long as it's done judiciously. If some cattle have been exposed to a highly infectious disease, for example, it makes sense to treat the animals around them or perhaps the whole herd. Such prescriptions are supposed to have defined start and end dates so they don't become a substitute for bad animal husbandry practices.

The problem is that rogue veterinarians could decide to make their living as prescription mills for feedlots they've never even visited. At this point, the FDA needs some clear rules for veterinarians, including a requirement that they visit the farms they prescribe for at least occasionally. Oversight will be needed to ensure that prescriptions to prevent disease are written only when needed, and for limited periods of time.



—Los Angeles Times, April 4