Mass administration of drugs in a form of medicated feed and human health risks

A critical area of antibiotic use in veterinary medicine is the administration of antimicrobial drugs in a form of medicated feed, when the whole groups or even complete flocks or herds of animals are treated. Worldwide pressure of human medicine representatives and organisations looking after health protection of consumers of animal origin foodstuffs is aimed at a reduction in use of antibiotics in this dosage form. Objectives of the study have been as follows: 1) to present an overview on the current situation in the area of the use of medicated feeds in food producing animals and to summarize the current legislative regulation; 2) to make reference to risk resulting from that mass administration of drugs for health of people as consumers, breeders, workers in animal feed-producing industry and simultaneously to emphasize a significance of inspection and supervisory activity over the use of medicated feeds in the Czech Republic; 3) to draw attention to legislative measures for the use of antibiotics that are the most frequently administered substances through medicated feeds both in the European Community and in the Czech Republic in conjunction with the enforcement of the rules of antibiotic policy for the use of medicated feeds; 4) based on collection of data about veterinary medicinal products consumption to demonstrate growing consumption of antimicrobial drugs in relation to the population of animals held and to express a recommendation for their rationalization and reasonable lowering of the use and consequently to reduce risks of possible drug residues resulting from the use of medicated feeds in food producing animals for man as the consumer of food of animal origin.CZ; cs; billova@uskvbl.c