03.10.2014

The Food and Drug Administration’s 2012 Summary Report show that sales of medically important antimicrobials used in food-producing animals in the U.S. increased by 8 percent in 2012 and by 16 percent between 2009 and 2012.
Breaking that number down, tetracyclines accounted for 67 percent, penicillins for 11 percent, macrolides for 7 percent, sulfonamides for 6 percent, aminoglycosides for 3 percent, lincosamides for 2 percent, and cephalosporins for fewer than 1 percent.
The percentage of domestic sales and distribution of medically important antimicrobials approved for use in food-producing animals that are sold over-the-counter (OTC) did not appreciably change, going from 98% to 97%.