Report and Follow up of Animal Care and Use Concerns

Slides

Report and Follow-up of Animal Care and Use Concerns

IACUP Policy
Effective Date: May 2024 
 

I. Purpose

UCSF recognizes that it is a privilege to use animals in research and instruction, and is committed to protecting the welfare of these animals. Any individual who has a concern with respect to the care and use of research animals at UCSF is encouraged to report the situation immediately. This policy ensures that UCSF has a system in place that complies with the concerns reporting requirements of the Animal Welfare Act and Regulations and the Guide for the Care and Use of Animals, Eighth Edition.

II. Regulatory or Accreditation Authority

9. C.F.R. §2.31, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee - (c) IACUC functions. With respect to activities involving animals, the IACUC, as an agent of the research facility, shall: (4) Review, and, if warranted, investigate concerns involving the care and use of animals at the research facility resulting from public complaints received and from reports of noncompliance received from laboratory or research facility personnel or employees;

9 C.F.R. §2.32, Personnel Qualifications – (c) Training and instruction of personnel must include guidance in at least the following areas: Methods whereby deficiencies in animal care and treatment are reported, including deficiencies in animal care and treatment reported by any employee of the facility. No facility employee, Committee member, or laboratory personnel shall be discriminated against or be subject to any reprisal for reporting violations of any regulation or standards under the Act;

Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, Eighth Edition, November, 2013, p. 57. – Investigating and Reporting Animal Welfare concerns. “The institution must develop methods for reporting and investigating animal welfare concerns, and employees should be aware of the importance of and mechanisms for reporting animal welfare concerns.”

AAALAC, International – AAALAC requires accredited institutions to promptly report adverse events, including unexpected animal deaths and allegations regarding compromised animal welfare.

III. Policy

The IACUC and the Laboratory Animal Resource Center (LARC) have established a formal process and set of procedures for reporting and following up on concerns regarding any aspect of animal care and use at UCSF. 

Individuals may report their concerns in person, by phone, or in writing via e-mail. Concerns may be reported anonymously, or the reporting individual may request confidentiality.

Any individual who identifies an animal care and use concern(s) or possible protocol violations should:

  1. Contact any member of the IACUC office, or any other individual designated on the Animal Care and Use Concerns Posting.

  2. If there are immediate animal welfare concerns, contact a LARC veterinarian immediately using the on-call LARC number below and communicate with the nearest LARC supervisor:

    LARC On-Call Veterinarian
    Phone: 415 502-8687

    and/or call the IACUC office using the number below:

    Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Office
    Phone: (415) 609-8490; Email: [email protected]

  3. In addition, individuals may also report concerns to:

    UCSF’s whistleblower program (you may contact anonymously):

  4. If there are no immediate animal welfare concerns, the individual may submit the Animal Care and Use Concerns Reporting Form. The form is available on the IACUC website, and at all LARC facilities.

    The reporting individual should complete the Reporting Form and either email it to [email protected], or call the IACUC office (415-476-2197) to verbally convey the form details (in which case IACUP staff will complete the Animal Care and Use Concerns Reporting Form), or provide the completed hard copy form to LARC personnel.

  5. An IACUC delegate will investigate the concern and report any animal health issues to a LARC veterinarian who may take further action, up to and including immediate termination of the experiment on the animal(s), if needed.

    The IACUC delegate will document: the situation; any discussions with personnel on site and/or with the PI; any actions taken with respect to the health of the animals; and, an initial assessment of whether there were possible protocol violations.

    The IACUC delegate will then make the following determination:

    1. If there are no immediate animal health concerns or protocol violations identified, the information will be provided to the IACUC at one of its regularly scheduled meetings.

    2. If any health concerns or potential protocol violations are found, the IACUC delegate will contact the IACUC director or IACUC Chair and the Attending Veterinarian (or designee) as needed. A subcommittee may be convened to address any immediate concerns prior to discussion at a regularly convened IACUC meeting.

      The IACUC delegate may notify the PI who may, based on the outcome of the investigation, be given an opportunity to provide a response regarding the concern and any other findings. The IACUC will then review the details and take appropriate action.

      If the situation is such that a responsible PI cannot be identified, the IACUC will nonetheless review the concern and determine the most appropriate course of action.

Note: The Federal Animal Welfare Act prohibits discrimination or reprisal against any person reporting a violation of animal welfare regulations or standards.