Which mandate requires five Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members?

Which mandate requires five Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members?

• A. Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
• B. Animal Welfare Regulations
• C. Good Laboratory Practice Regulations
• D. Public Health Service (PHS) Policy

Answer: (D)

Public Health Service Policy sets a minimum of five members for an IACUC, ensuring a range of expertise and perspectives on animal care and use. The policy specifies that the committee include at least one veterinarian trained in laboratory animal medicine, at least one member whose primary concerns are non-scientific (such as an ethicist or community member), and at least one member not affiliated with the institution. This combination promotes thorough veterinary oversight, ethical consideration, and external accountability in protocol review. Other regulations or guidelines address how animal care is conducted or how studies are regulated, but they do not establish this five-member minimum.

Public Health Service Policy sets a minimum of five members for an IACUC, ensuring a range of expertise and perspectives on animal care and use. The policy specifies that the committee include at least one veterinarian trained in laboratory animal medicine, at least one member whose primary concerns are non-scientific (such as an ethicist or community member), and at least one member not affiliated with the institution. This combination promotes thorough veterinary oversight, ethical consideration, and external accountability in protocol review. Other regulations or guidelines address how animal care is conducted or how studies are regulated, but they do not establish this five-member minimum.