Retailer announces new way to order livestock meds

Blain’s Farm and Fleet, a Midwest retailer, announced a new online system for direct ordering of prescriptions for livestock and other animals. Producers can go to farmandfleetrx.com to order medications like Oxytetracycline, Sulfisoxazole, and Erythromycin. “Urgency in obtaining affordable prescriptions for your animals, especially during calving season, is crucial,” said Steve McCombs, buyer at Blain’s Farm & Fleet. The new online product, AnimalRx, is a direct result of FDA Guidance for Industry No. 263 — a 2021 order that limited the availability of antimicrobials for livestock from over the counter (OTC) to prescription-only. The order was given as part of an effort to reduce the likelihood of antimicrobial resistance in livestock, which was rising at the start of the 2020s. The order took full effect in June 2023.