AVMA and Congressional veterinarians ask FDA to extend #GFI 256 comment
period again.
In a May 19, 2020 letter to Eric Nelson, Director, Division of Compliance of
the Center for Veterinary Medicine of the Food and Drug Administration, the AVMA
requested “at least a 120-day extension to the comment period,” explaining that
“The COVID-19 pandemic has required the AVMA to focus its efforts on ensuring
veterinary practices are deemed essential businesses and providing information
and resources for veterinarians so that they are able to continue protecting
animal health and welfare and public health, while ensuring to the greatest
extent possible the safety of their practice teams and clients. As such, we have
not been able to gather feedback from our membership as we normally would.”
In their May 22, 2020 letter to Commissioner Stephen H. Hahn, M.D. of the
FDA, House of Representatives members Kurt Schrader, DVM and Ted S. Yoho, DVM,
asked that “this comment period be extended again for an additional six months,”
explaining that their request was “because of the current and unprecedented
situation with Covid-19 and the widespread shutdown of much of our nation’s
economy … Stakeholders, including veterinarians, pet owners and pharmacies, are
currently distracted and need more time to effectively provide the kind of input
necessary for FDA to make appropriate decisions regarding this draft guidance.”