Influence of the Milk and Dairy Beef Duality Assurance Program on dairy farm drug management practices

Objective-To test the hypothesis that dairy farms certified in the Milk and Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Program (OAP) were more likely to use prudent drug management practices than farms that were not certified, Design-Cross-sectional study. Sample Population-141 Michigan dairy farms of which 74 were not certified i n the GAP, 30 were involuntarily certified, and 37 were voluntarily certifi ed. Procedure-Dairy producers completed a self-administered questionnaire that focused on herd health management, drug use, record keeping, personnel mana gement, and descriptive characteristics of their farm during 1993. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were developed to determine the a ssociation of QAP certification with each of the management practices, Results-Results suggested that farms adopted specific management practices irrespective of certification, Many farms used visible identification and n on-emergency veterinary services and discussed residue prevention with empl oyees. Involuntary certification was associated with maintenance of good wr itten treatment records and performance of on-farm drug residue testing, Vo luntary certification was weakly associated with use of refrigerated drug s torage. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-QAP certification appeared to have been associated with the adoption of only a few prudent drug use practices, alth ough OAF materials and framework were developed to assist veterinarians in the promotion of disease prevention, client communication, and residue prev ention practices on farms. Veterinary care would benefit from the developme nt and encouragement of better record keeping on farms.