California Bans Certain Uses of Antibiotics on Farms

October 14, 2015 — 

California Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed into law the nation’s toughest restrictions yet on antibiotic use in livestock. The law bans the state's livestock producers from using certain antibiotics for routine disease prevention and growth promotion.

SB-27 is designed to further reduce the use of certain antibiotics on farms.

Effective January 1 2018, SB 27 requires livestock producers to get prescriptions for any medically important antibiotics (i.e., those used by humans) that they want to give to livestock thus banning over the counter sales.

Growth promotion uses will be banned and prevention uses will require a veterinary prescription. The intent is to increase oversight on the use of antibiotics by requiring veterinary prescriptions for antibiotics if they are to be used specifically to treat sick animals or prevent a disease where there's a clear risk.

The California law also establishes an antibiotic stewardship program and requires the state Department of Food and Agriculture to create a tracking system on antibiotic usage and resistance.