Michael Blackwell, DVM, MPH, an HSVMA board member with 20 years of experience with the Food and Drug Administration, issued the following statement:

“The public is counting on licensed medical professionals to make appropriate decisions to help mitigate the growing antimicrobial resistance crisis. By requiring that veterinarians oversee all antimicrobial use to treat, control and prevent diseases in animals, SB 27 sets a historic precedent. Governor Brown has the opportunity to make California the first state to put these decisions solely in the hands of trained medical professionals and thereby help reduce the overuse of antimicrobials in food animal production.”

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Media Contact: Cheylin Parker; 301-258-1505, [email protected]