James Coffman
Kansas State University

This paper summarizes and discussed National Research Council, Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources report (NRC, 1999) on the Use of Drugs in Food Animals: Benefits and Risks. In reflection of the report itself, it focuses on issues related to the development of resistance to antimicrobial agents. It emphasizes the need for a more streamlined and enhanced means of developing and approving new agents, the need for greater integration of oversight and policy development efforts, and the necessity of greater availability of better data. It states that antibiotic resistant pathogens have been transmitted from animals to man, causing illness. It also discusses the issue of banning the sub-therapeutic use of these compounds, including the economic implications of such a ban.

Key words: National Research Council; ban; antibiotic resistance; drug resistance; sub-therapeutic administration; animal production; policy.