The Center for Veterinary Medicine is a consumer protection organization. We foster public and animal health by approving safe and effective products for animals and by enforcing applicable provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other authorities.

The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is responsible for assuring that animal drugs and medicated feeds are safe and effective and that food from treated animals is safe to eat. This authority is derived from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act). The Act was amended in 1968 to include sections which specifically address animal drugs. These amendments were designed to ensure that animal drugs are safe and effective for their intended uses and that they do not result in unsafe residues in foods.

One of CVM's highest priorities is assuring the safety of the food supply. And, because of the Center's work and the cooperative efforts of all FDA employees, the American food supply is among the safest in the world.

The responsibilities of CVM have a direct effect on the safety of the human food supply and on the safety to animals of veterinary products.

CVM works to educate consumers as well as the regulated industry; evaluates data on proposed veterinary products carefully before permitting them to be marketed; discovers volatile marketed products through surveillance programs, and initiates legal action, if necessary, to bring violators into compliance with the law; and conducts research to support Center activities.

Whether developing and disseminating information, approving animal drug products for marketing, monitoring marketed animal drug products, or conducting research, CVM is committed to the important goal of protecting animal and human health throughout the United States.

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