The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the broad mandate under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C.
The division of the FDA responsible for this is the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM).
Drugs approved by the FDA for use in veterinary medicine are structurally similar to drugs approved for use in humans, owing to highly conserved physiology across species, and half of drugs approved for animals are separately approved for use in humans.
The testing data also must demonstrate that a methodology is available to detect and measure any residue left in edible animal products.
Farmers and veterinarians using drugs on farm animals must adhere to guidelines about how much time must elapse before a treated animal can be slaughtered, and any other use constraints or warnings stated on the drug label.