Animal Program: Veterinary Verification and Consultation (VVC)

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Policy Number:
UW-4132
Old Policy Number:
2016-058-c
Responsible Office:
Research Animal Resources and Compliance

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

To allow for certain significant changes to be preapproved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and verified by a research veterinarian. This policy will facilitate and speed protocol revisions, improve compliance, and reduce the regulatory burden on UW–Madison principal investigators (PIs).

Policy:

In August 2014, the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) provided new guidance on significant changes to animal activities (NOT-OD-14-126) in an effort to support the use of performance standards and professional judgment and to reduce regulatory burden.

At UW–Madison, the following significant changes to an IACUC protocol may be handled administratively without review by the full committee or designated member review.

Only the UW– Madison chief campus veterinarian or delegates (see attached list) may administratively verify changes through veterinary verification and consultation (VVC) if changes are consistent with policies (guidance documents, standard operating procedures, and formularies) previously approved by the IACUCs. These changes may include:

  1. Anesthesia, analgesia, or sedation to referenced drugs and dosages for the species.
  2. Experimental substances, including a change in test compound, dose, or route of administration as long as the change does not result in a change in study objectives or greater pain, distress, or degree of invasiveness.
  3. Euthanasia to any method that is approved in the current American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals.
  4. Duration, frequency, type, or number of previously approved procedures performed on an animal as long as the change does not result in greater pain, distress, or degree of invasiveness. For some procedures, different variations of the procedure can be approved (e.g., blood-draw type).
  5. An increase in previously approved animal numbers so long as the increase is justified and in accordance with the policy UW-4131 Animal Program: Justification of Numbers.
  6. A change in procedure or housing location including addition or subtraction within the reviewing IACUS's oversight.
  7. A change in the source of animals.
  8. A change in the disposition of animals.

The significant changes described above may be handled administratively according to IACUC-reviewed and -approved policies in consultation with a veterinarian authorized by the IACUC. The veterinarian is not conducting DMR but is serving as a subject matter expert to verify that compliance with the IACUC-reviewed and -approved policy is appropriate for the animals in this circumstance.

Consultation with the veterinarian must occur before any change in work is started and must be documented. A list of changes administratively handled by VVC will be provided to the IACUC at least quarterly. The veterinarian may refer any request to the IACUC for review for any reason and must refer any request that does not meet the parameters of the IACUC-reviewed and -approved policies. The following significant changes may not be handled administratively by VVC and must undergo either a full committee or designated member review:

  1. From non-survival to survival surgery
  2. Resulting in greater pain, distress, or degree of invasiveness
  3. In housing or use of animals in a location that is not part of the animal program overseen by an IACUC
  4. In study objectives
  5. In principal investigator
  6. That impact personnel safety
  7. From the euthanasia method approved in the AVMA guidelines for euthanasia to one that is not
  8. Addition of a new procedure type

See companion VVC Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for specific examples and a list of guidance documents, SOPs, and formularies currently approved by the IACUCs for VVC.

Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:

Description of VVC Process for PIs and Protocol Writers 

External References:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Associate Vice Chancellor of Research Policy and Compliance
Policy Manager:
IACUC Administrator
Contact:
IACUC Administrator -- IACUC Administrator, iacuc_administrator@rarc.wisc.edu, (608) 262-1238
Effective Date:
03-01-2016
Date Issued:
03-01-2018
Revised Dates:

11-17-2023

Retrieved:
01-13-2025 11:59:38