Institutional and IACUC Responsibilities for Animal Care and Use Education and Training Programs

Abstract

Training and instruction of personnel are important components of animal care and use programs because they help to ensure the health and welfare of the animals and the integrity of the research or testing results. Training also helps to promote the consideration of alternatives, recognition of animal pain and distress, appropriate use of pain-relieving agents, aseptic technique, pre- and post-procedural care, and personnel health and safety. While individuals who provide the care for or conduct research or testing in laboratory animals should take personal responsibility for ensuring that they have the skills to perform their duties, the institution is ultimately responsible for ensuring their competency. The institution is also responsible for providing the training or instruction that is required by federal legislation, regulations, and policies. The institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) is responsible for ensuring, as part of their review of research activities, that the personnel are capable of performing the procedures described. The IACUC must also assess the institution's training program as part of their semiannual animal care and use program review and make recommendations regarding training to the institutional official. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the US regulatory mandates for training and personnel qualification.

Individual and collective responsibility to enhance regulatory compliance of the Three Rs

“…Under the Korean Laboratory Animals Act (Chapter 5, Article 17) (8), the Korea FDA provides necessary education and training, and/or assigns the responsibility to the research facilities to provide for the training of scientists, animal technicians, and other personnel who are involved with animal care and treatment (9). The LAA has been amended four times, since applying the Three Rs principles in 2009.…”

“…The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations require the IACUC to review activities involving animals and, as part of that review, to determine that personnel conducting the procedures are appropriately trained and qualified (9 CFR 2.31; CFR 1989, 2006). The USDA has also issued several polices that provide additional guidance related to training regarding handling, immobilization, anesthesia, tranquilization, and euthanasia (9).…”

“…Under the Korean Laboratory Animals Act (Regulation Article 2), the Korea FDA limits its inspection to the animal facilities registered to the Korea FDA and only conducts necessary education and training, and/or assigns the responsibility to the research facilities to provide for the training of scientists, animal technicians, and other personnel who are involved with animal care and treatment (9).…”

“…It is time that both government and research organizations choose to establish more extensive and effective training programs for personnel to ensure the humane care and use of animals, to better support their scientific mission, and to optimize the management of animal care and use programs to enhance regulatory compliance with the Three Rs (9).…”

Fundamental Training for Individuals Involved in the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: A Review and Update of the 1991 NRC Core Training Module

“…For a detailed review of the laws and guidelines that address the training requirements, we refer readers to the preceding article in this issue titled "Institutional and IACUC Responsibilities for Animal Care and Use Education and Training Programs" (Anderson 2007).…”