Four Democratic Senators on Wednesday wrote to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg asking her to issue a rule to increase data collection and develop a plan specifically to collect data on how antibiotics are used on farms.
“We particularly hope this proposed rule will allow your agency to collect more specific data on how different antibiotics are used in different species and for different indications,” wrote California’s Dianne Feinstein, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand and Iowa’s Tom Harkin.
The “current antibiotic use and resistance monitoring system has shortcomings,” they wrote. “… Data on antibiotic use and resistance enables federal agencies to take action to protect the public health and supports research into better understanding complex questions related to the development of antibiotic resistance and potential links to human health.”
The letter is available on Senator Feinstein’s website by clicking here.
