The cost of self-imposed regulatory burden in animal research.
U.S. federal regulations and standards governing the care and use of research animals enacted in the mid- to late 1980s, while having positive effects on the welfare and quality of the animals, have resulted in dramatic increases in overall research costs. In addition to the expenses of housing and caring for animals according to the standards, establishing the requisite internal compliance bureaucracies has markedly driven up costs, in both institutional monetary expenditures and lost research effort. However, many institutions are increasing these costs even further through additional self-imposed regulatory burden, typically characterized by overly complex compliance organizations and unnecessary policies and procedures. We discuss the sources of this self-imposed burden and recommend strategies for avoiding it while preserving an appropriate focus on animal well-being and research success.
Biomedical Resource Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; jthulin@mcw.edu.
Joseph D
JD
Thulin
Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, International, Frederick, Maryland, USA;
John F
JF
Bradfield
University Laboratory Animal Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA;
Valerie K
VK
Bergdall
Laboratory Animal Resources, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA;
Laura A
LA
Conour
Laboratory Animal Facilities, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA;
Andrew W
AW
Grady
Laboratory Animal Resources, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA;
Debra L
DL
Hickman
Division of Laboratory Animal Resources, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA; and.
John N
JN
Norton
Division of Animal Care, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Jeanne M
JM
Wallace
D000047:Academies and Institutes / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D035661:Animal Care Committees; D032761:Animal Experimentation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D000826:Animal Testing Alternatives / Q000191:economics; D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006799:Housing, Animal / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D016134:Organizational Policy; D012106:Research / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards
compliance; oversight; policies; standards