University of Wisconsin-Madison

Policy Number: 1999-009 [PDF]

Adoption Date: 12/14/1999

Effective Date: 12/14/1999

Expiration Date: ongoing

Review Date: Annually in January

Policy on Protocol Amendment Approval by the Chair and Attending Veterinarian

Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for those College/School Animal Care and Use Committees (ACUC) that have delegated protocol amendment review and approval to the ACUC's Chair and Attending Veterinarian.

Policy:

1. On an annual basis each ACUC shall at their individual discretion, and through a majority vote at a legally convened meeting, delegate the authority to the Chair and Attending Veterinarian or their appointed voting alternates to review and approve amendments to currently active animal protocols as a specific form of Designated Review. Such review and approval shall follow the guidelines established below.
2. Amendments covered by this policy are those that are not defined as administrative and the amendments must be incorporated into the existing protocol in the prescribed manner.
3. At their discretion, either the ACUC Chair or Attending Veterinarian may refer any amendment to the entire ACUC for review and approval. Except for such referral, the ACUC Chair and Attending Veterinarian may review and approve animal protocol amendments that fall within the below listed guidelines. Any amendment not falling within the guidelines will automatically require full ACUC review.
   
   Review/Approval Guidelines
   1. Increase in animal numbers not to exceed 10% of originally approved numbers and species (the addition of a new species and increases above 10% require full-committee review).
   2. Addition or modification of procedures that are within the scope of currently approved experimental or surgical procedures. NOTE: addition of survival surgery requires full-committee review as would the addition or change of a procedure likely to increase animal pain or distress, regardless of whether animal numbers increase or not.
   3. Addition of the locations where procedures on animals, or other animal activities of a duration less than 12 hours.
   4. Addition or modification of injection or blood draw that are within the scope of currently approved procedures.
   5. Use of an alternative drug or material, with very similar actions to the original, should the currently approved one become unavailable or as a replacement with improved efficacy.
   6. Qualifications and training of instructors invited by the university to teach specific procedures, generally for continuing education courses, in lieu of completing on-line animal user certification for UW-Madison
4. The full ACUC shall be provided for review (at least quarterly) a copy of the log of amendments reviewed and approved by the ACUC Chair and Attending Veterinarian. Any ACUC member may request a full-committee review of any previously approved amendment noted on the log.

Prepared by: R. Lane, J. Welter

Reference Minutes: 12/14/1999, 3/2/2007, 4/3/2009