Antimicrobial Resistance
Antimicrobial drugs are used in both people and animals and play an important role in public health across the globe. When antimicrobials are used in animals, it can contribute to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria that can be transferred to people. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of microorganisms such as bacteria, to resist the effects of antimicrobials, which are the drugs used to kill the microorganisms. When microorganisms become increasingly resistant to antimicrobial drugs, the drugs become less effective at slowing or stopping the growth of the microorganisms. This makes it more difficult to treat infections in people and animals. When antimicrobials are used excessively or inappropriately, the rate of this resistance grows.
In FY 2019, FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) developed a five-year action plan for supporting antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary settings. The 2019-2023 plan aims to limit or reverse resistance arising from the use of antibiotics in animals, while continuing to ensure the availability of safe and effective antibiotics for use in animals and humans.
- Supporting Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Settings, Goals for Fiscal Years 2024-2028
- Supporting Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Settings: Goals for Fiscal Years 2019-2023
- Progress Made on CVM's 5-Year Plan for Supporting Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Settings Phase 1
- FDA-TRACK: Progress on FDA’s Support of Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Settings
- Antimicrobial Resistance Information from FDA
Recent AMR Announcements
- October 10, 2024 - FDA Releases Annual Summary of Sales and Distribution of Antimicrobials in 2023 for Use in Food-Producing Animals
- September 25, 2024 - FDA Awards Funds for Three Projects to Collect, Analyze and Report Data on Antimicrobial Use in Animals
- April 26, 2024 - FDA Finalizes Guidance to Provide Further Clarity on Veterinary Feed Directives
- March 5, 2024 - FDA Accepting Proposals for FY 2024-2025 Funding Opportunities to Collect Data on Antimicrobial Use in Animals
- December 14, 2023 - FDA Warns Nine Manufacturers, Distributors of Unapproved Antimicrobials for Animals
- December 7, 2023 - FDA Releases Annual Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed in 2022 for Use in Food-Producing Animals
- November 20, 2023 - CVM Antimicrobial Stewardship in FY 2023 and Beyond
- September 27, 2023 - FDA Releases Plan for Supporting Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Settings for FY 2024-2028
- September 25, 2023 - FDA Releases Draft Guidance on Defining Durations of Use for Certain Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs for Food Animals
- August 2, 2023 - FDA Seeks Public Comment on Possible Framework for Collecting and Analyzing Data on Antimicrobial Use in Food-Producing Animals
- June 12, 2023 - FDA Announces Transition of Over-the-Counter Medically Important Antimicrobials for Animals to Prescription Status
- December 16, 2022 - FDA Proposes Revisions to Guidance on Evaluating Safety of Antimicrobial Animal Drugs Based on Their Importance in Human Medicine
- December 12, 2022 - FDA Releases Annual Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed in 2021 for Use in Food-Producing Animals
- November 29, 2022 - FDA Launches Interactive Summary of Biomass-Adjusted Antimicrobial Sales Data in Food Animals
