Animal Care Committee
Approved ACC Policy
Notification of Suspension of Protocols
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Animal Care Committee
Approved ACC Policy |
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The Animal Welfare Regulations (9 CFR, Ch. 1, 2.31 (c)(8)) and PHS Policy (IV.B.8) charge the IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee), also known as the Animal Care Committee (ACC) with the authority to suspend an activity involving animals in accordance with the specifications set forth in the Animal Welfare Act and/or PHS Policy or because it has determined that the activity is not being conducted in accordance with the description of that activity as provided by the principal investigator (PI) in the animal care application. The following will outline the established procedure which will be used to notify PIs of the decision of the ACC to suspend protocols.
1. The decision to suspend a protocol may be reached by a majority vote of a convened meeting of a quorum of the ACC.
a. The PI will be notified by phone or email by the chair of the ACC within 24 hours of this action being taken by the ACC.
b. The PI will also receive a letter from the ACC stipulating the actions taken by the ACC.
2. In exceptional circumstances where there is a clear threat to animal health, the Attending Veterinarian (AV) has the authority to suspend animal activities on a protocol. This action needs to be followed by a convened meeting of the ACC as soon as possible to review the cause of the suspension of the animal activity.
a. The PI will be notified by phone or email by the AV within 24 hours of this action being taken by the ACC.
b. The PI will also receive a letter from the ACC stipulating the actions taken by the AV and/or a description of actions prospectively to be taken as a result of the ACC meeting following the suspension of activities by the AV.
3. The Institutional Official (IO) may suspend an activity that the ACC has previously approved in the case of serious or continuing non-compliance with ACC approved protocol or governmental law or regulation, misuse, or mistreatment of research animals, or previously unanticipated risk to the laboratory research personnel. This action needs to be followed by a convened meeting of the ACC as soon as possible to review the cause of the suspension of the animal activity.
a. The PI will be notified by phone or email by the AV within 24 hours of this action being taken by the ACC.
b. The PI will also receive a letter from the ACC stipulating the actions taken by the AV and/or a description of actions prospectively to be taken as a result of the ACC meeting following the suspension of activities by the AV.
4. All further actions of investigating animal welfare issues, complaints, and cases of non-compliance with animal care and use protocols are outlined in the ACC Policy on Reporting Animal Welfare Concerns.
Effective Dates: September 29, 2005 through September 28, 2008
This policy has been approved by a majority vote of the Animal Care Committee
Members
Joseph Lorenzo, M.D., Chair, Animal Care Committee