Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee IACUC: Responsibilities, Structure, and Support

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Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
(IACUC)Responsibilities, Structure, and Support

• Tracy M. Heenan, D.V.M.
• Director Office of Animal Care and Use

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Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine

• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
  (IACUC) - ensures humane care use of research
  animals, compliance with regulations
• IACUC supported by Office of Animal Care and Use
  (OACU)
• Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine (DLAM) and
  IACUC are separate groups, but work together to
  manage animal use on campus
• DLAM composed of veterinarians, veterinary
  technicians, husbandry technicians who have
  common goal of caring for research animals used
  at UNC-Chapel Hill

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OFFICE OF ANIMAL CARE AND USE
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The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

• federally mandated
• appointed by Institutional Official - Tony
  Waldrop, Vice Chancellor for Research and
  Economic Development
• acts as arm of federal regulatory agencies
  locally

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IACUC Responsibilities

• Ensure adherence to federal, institutional
  policy, national standards of animal care and use
  in five areas
• IACUC Procedures
• Veterinary Care
• Personnel Qualifications and Training
• Occupational Health and Safety of individuals
  handling animals
• Animal Facilities and Husbandry

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IACUC Procedures

• Use of standardized procedures in such areas as
  
• IACUC inspection of animal facilities
• application review
• handling of concerns about animal care or use
• treatment of whistle blowers

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Veterinary Care

• Adequate veterinary care must be provided,
  including access to all animals for evaluation of
  their health and well-being." (1996 Guide, p.12)

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Personnel Qualifications and Training

• institution, through IACUC, ensures all personnel
  involved in animal care and use are qualified to
  perform duties and conduct proposed activities
• development and implementation of adequate
  personnel training program
• UNC-CH Laboratory Animal Coordinator
  Certification Program

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Occupational Health and Safety of Individuals
Handling Animals

• "An occupational health and safety program must
  be part of the overall animal care and use
  program....The program will depend on the
  facility, research activities, hazards, and
  animal species involved." (Guide, p.14)

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Animal Facilities and Husbandry

• "Proper housing and management of animal
  facilities are essential to animal well-being, to
  the quality of research data and teaching or
  testing programs in which animals are used, and
  to the health and safety of personnel." (Guide,
  p. 21)

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Semiannual Program Reviews and Facility
Inspections

• IACUC monitors animal care and use program by
  conducting thorough reviews of the program and
  inspections of animal facilities
• program review and facility inspections must
  occur every six-months
• facility review is a physical inspection of all
  buildings, rooms, laboratories, enclosures used
  for animal experiments, confinement, transport,
  maintenance, or breeding

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Application Review

• IACUC oversees use of animals by formally
  reviewing applications at a convened meeting
• applications must be reviewed at least once every
  three years
• significant changes to a application after it has
  been approved require further review by the IACUC
  (filing amendment)

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Addressing Animal Welfare Concerns

• IACUC is mandated to evaluate concerns regarding
  care and use of animals at the institution
• concerns may be raised by staff or employees of
  the institution, individuals in community, or
  members of IACUC
• IACUC has procedures for handling allegations of
  mistreatment or noncompliance
• IACUC must also protect rights of whistle blowers
  

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Suspension of Animal Activities

• IACUC may suspend a project if it finds
  violations of federal regulations, or the Guide
• suspension may occur only after review of matter
  at convened meeting of IACUC quorum, and with
  suspension vote of majority of quorum present
• IACUC must consult with Institutional Official
  (IO) regarding reasons for suspension
• IO required to take appropriate corrective action
  and report action and circumstances surrounding
  suspension to OLAW

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Reporting Requirements

• OACU and DLAM Directors report directly to Dr.
  Tony Waldrop, Institutional Official
• IACUC Chair and IACUC send reports of their
  evaluations and recommendations to Dr. Waldrop
• IO reports violations in federal regulations and
  significant deficiencies to Office of Laboratory
  Animal Welfare and the USDA

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ReportingDivision of Laboratory Animal
MedicineOffice of Animal Care and Use
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Contact Information

• Office of Animal Care and Use (OACU)
• Medical Building 52
• 966-5569
• iacuc_at_med.unc.edu
• http//research.unc.edu/iacuc/