The care and feeding of an IACUC : the organization and management of an institutional animal care and use committee

Content: IACUC: the hub of communication / M. Lawrence Podolsky, M.D. -- Formation and composition of an IACUC / M. Lawrence Podolsky, M.D. -- IACUC records and their management / Philip C. Tillman, D.V.M. -- IACUC issues in academia / Stephen P. Schiffer, D.V.M., M.S. -- Forms and notices (annotated) / M. Lawrence Podolsky, M.D. -- Running an IACUC: one chair's perspective / Victor S. Lukas, D.V.M. -- The IACUC's role in education and training / Sonja L. Wallace, A.A.S., R.V.T. -- The IACUC and laboratory animal resources / Joanne R. Blum, D.V.M. -- The role of the IACUC in assessing and managing pain and distress in research animals / Sally K. Wixson, V.M.D., M.S. -- IACUC from a principal investigator's perspective / Robert J. Tressler, Ph. D. & Paula Belloni, Ph. D. -- The literature search for alternatives / Michael D. Kreger. M.S. -- Ethics and quandaries.

The framers of the 1985 amendments to the Federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) envisioned the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) as the linchpin—the central and cohesive element—of the laboratory animal care and use program at research, education, and testing organizations. Effective operation of this committee is essential if these organizations are to achieve full regulatory compliance, and, more importantly, retain the public's support for activities involving the use of animal subjects.

In 1987, the Scientists Center for Animal Welfare, in cooperation with the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, published a compilation of presentations made at five regional workshops on effective operation of IACUCs. In the decade since this compilation was published, nearly all of the 18 consensus recommendations developed by the workshop participants and the Center's Board of Trustees have either been incorporated into the AWA regulations or have been voluntarily adopted by institutions using animals subjects.

The Care and Feeding of an IACUC: The Organization and Management of an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee superbly illustrates the progress and advances the animal-using communities have made in implementing these and other improvements in their animal care and use programs.

The highly qualified contributors provide twelve information-packed chapters and ten appendices that provide IACUC chairs and members with an indispensable reference. This book summarizes information critical to the effective and efficient management and operation of an IACUC, and, as such, should be made available to IACUC members and administrative officials in every institution using laboratory animals.

Booknews

Provides information and reports on experiences of establishing and maintaining the core element of programs to improve conditions for laboratory animals in research, education, and testing organizations. Discusses such aspects as formation and composition, records and their management, one chair's perspective, the committee's role in education and training, and ethics and quandaries. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Emphasizing the managerial aspects of institutional animal care and use committees, this book offers the authors' expertise of industrial IACUC's, particularly in pharmaceutical houses. Since these committees are required by federal law to operate in all institutions that use laboratory animals, the "hard earned wisdom" presented in this book may be a key to a committee's efficiency and effectiveness. Furthermore, the number of animals used is high yet the need for FDA and AALAC compliance is tempered by business consideratons. This book helps pave the way for better relationships between the animal user and the government. "The contributors provide 12 chapters and 10 appendices that should provide researchers, administrators, veterinarians, students, and IACUC members with a reference volume. This book summarizes information critically necessary for the effective and efficient management and operation of an IACUC, and as such should be made available to IACUC members and administrative officials in very institution using laboratory animals."--BOOK JACKET IACUCs may vary in their individual operations, but they all direct their efforts toward a common purpose: to make sure that the animals under their purview are used and cared for in a humane manner.