Guidelines and regulations in animal experimentation

Abstract

The welfare of animals used in biomedical research is a matter of importance to those who utilize the animals, as well as the general public. This is evidenced by the numerous laws and regulations currently governing the use of animals in effect, reflect this concern [1]. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of these laws and regulations as they pertain to the use of animals in pharmaceutical and academic research. As most of the regulations affect animal care practices and as such are the responsibility of those who care for the animals (i.e. the attending veterinarian and the institution animal care and use committee), details for care practices will not be provided. We will, however, attempt to cover some of the responsibilities of the principal investigator who does animal based research. In addition, since these regulations are subject to change, we have tried to indicate sources where the most recent information additional sources sources and up to dated information can be obtained.