IACUC Animal Training Policy for Investigators, Staff, and Personnel Working with Animals
The IACUCrequires all persons working with animals to complete applicable training modules as a basic requirement of their training.The modules can be accessed from the IACUC web page. The existing training modules consist of Working with the IACUC, Reducing Pain and Distress in Laboratory Mice and Rats, numerous Species Modules, and other specialized modules. Modules that must be completed byall investigators and staff arethe Working with the IACUCand Reducing Pain and Distress modules, and the applicable Species Module relevant to each protocol. Anyone doing surgery on animals must also complete the Aseptic Surgery module.
Training must be completed every three years by all persons working with animals to provide for continuing education concerning updatesto laws and current practices in laboratory animal care and medicine. The ONLY module to be completed at the end of three years is Working with Animals in Biomedical Research – Refresher Course, Basic Course.
Occupational Health and Safety Policy for Investigators, Staff, and Personnel Working with Animals
The IACUC requires that all persons working with, or having significant contact with, animals complete an occupational health and safety evaluation form every six years. Persons who come in contact with animals, handle animals, and work on equipment such as caging or cage washers are included in the Occupational Health Program. The Occupational Health and Safety forms and instructions can be accessed from the IACUC website. The forms must be completed, and Part A must be returned to the Laboratory Animal Program.
Policy on the Use of Avertin
The use of Avertin for animal use at SIUC is no longer acceptable. Tribromoethanol, also known as "Avertin", was formerly a commonly used surgical anesthetic. However, Avertin is no longer commercially available and its use has been discontinued as an approved anesthetic in the medical and veterinary fields. and. The "Avertin" compound that is now available is a mixture of non-medical grade ingredients that duplicate the formerly approved pharmaceutical-grade Avertin. USDA policy on Pharmaceutical-Grade Compounds in Research is as follows:
Investigators are expected to use pharmaceutical-grade medications whenever they are available, even in acute procedures. Non-pharmaceutical-grade chemical compounds should only be used in animals after specific review and approval by the IACUC for reasons such as scientific necessity or non-availability of an acceptable veterinary or human pharmaceutical-grade product. Cost savings alone are not an adequate justification for using non-pharmaceutical-grade compounds in regulated animals.
Please contact the Laboratory Animal Program or attending Veterinarian for alternative acceptable anesthetic agents.
Policy on the Use of Outdated Sodium Pentobarbital
Pentobarbital is an acceptable euthanasia agent if it is not more than 5 years past the expiration date listed on the bottle. Since pentobarbital is a controlled substance, record keeping is mandatory per DEA regulations.