Center for Veterinary Medicine Also referred to as: CVM
On October 20, 2024, CVM began implementing a reorganization impacting two of our offices. We are in the process of updating FDA.gov content to reflect these changes.
What CVM Regulates
What CVM Does Not Regulate (Common Misconceptions)
The mission statement for FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) reads, “Protecting Human and Animal Health.” To achieve this broad mission, CVM:
- Ensures animal drugs are safe and effective, properly made, and adequately labeled and packaged;
- Ensures that when food-producing animals, such as cattle and chickens, are treated with an animal drug, food made from those animals, such as meat, milk, and eggs, are safe for people to eat;
- Ensures that new animal food additives are safe and serve their intended function;
- Educates pet owners, animal producers, veterinarians, and the animal health industry about the products we regulate;
- Monitors the safety of all types of animal food for all types of animals;
- Monitors and investigates side effects and product quality problems that are reported for animal food, drugs, and devices (like thermometers and pacemakers) once they are sold on the market;
- Carries out research to support our policies and regulatory decisions about animal food, drugs, and devices;
- Works to make more animal drugs legally available for minor species, such as ferrets and fish; and for minor (infrequent and limited) uses in a major species, such as horses and dogs;
- Works to support and spur the development of new technologies and approaches that address health needs across human, animal and environmental health sectors; and
- Leads, coordinates, and manages CVM’s international activities in collaboration with relevant FDA Centers and Offices, as well as FDA’s international regulatory counterparts.
Meet Tracey Forfa, Director, Center for Veterinary Medicine
What CVM Regulates
Frequently Asked Questions about Animal Drugs
What CVM Does Not Regulate (Common Misconceptions)
- CVM does not provide veterinary advice. If you have a concern about your pet's health, please talk to your veterinarian.
- CVM does not regulate the practice of veterinary medicine. If you have a complaint about your veterinarian or questions about veterinary standard of care, contact the veterinary medical board in your state:
- In most cases, CVM does not regulate vaccines for infectious animal diseases, like rabies and distemper. The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates these vaccines. (Infectious animal diseases are diseases caused by harmful organisms, such as some viruses and bacteria, and can spread from animal to animal or between animals and people.)
- CVM regulates some flea and tick products as animal drugs while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates others as pesticides. If a product is regulated by EPA, its label will list an EPA Registration Number (sometimes written as “EPA Reg. No.”). If a product is regulated by CVM, its label will typically have a six-digit New Animal Drug Application (NADA) or Abbreviated New Animal Drug Application (ANADA) number and a statement indicating the drug is FDA-approved.
Additional Resources
Contact Us
Contact Point
- CVM
- Center for Veterinary Medicine
Food and Drug Administration
7500 Standish Place
Rockville, MD 20855
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Hours Available
- AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov
- (240) 402-7002