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  • Protocol Review
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Response to Protocol Review Scenario: No Authority

Lab Animal volume 33, pages 16–17 (2004)Cite this article

It is imperative for IACUCs to maintain properly constituted membership in accordance with federal regulations. The authority to appoint this membership lies with the IO or CEO. The Health Research Act of 1985 requires that the CEO of the entity for which the IACUC is established appoint the Committee1. According to the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Policy), “OLAW considers the CEO to be the highest operating official of the organization. If the CEO delegates authority to appoint the IACUC then the delegation must be specific and in writing2”.

AMD's situation seems to lie outside of this requirement. Although Williams may have designated Friedman to make major business decisions in his absence, he obviously did not specifically delegate to Friedman the appointment of IACUC members. Furthermore, there seems to be no documentation to support Friedman's authority as the acting IO. As anyone in the animal care field knows, if it is not documented it doesn't count! Therefore, Friedman cannot appoint his neighbor as the unaffiliated member.

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References

  1. Public Law 99-158. Health Research Extension Act of 1985.

  2. Public Health Service. Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals Footnote 5 (US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC, 1986).

  3. Public Health Service. Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals IV.3 (US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC, 1986).

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  1. Department of Comparative Medicine, Departments of Physiology and Pathology, Levee is Director, and Assistant Professor, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY.,

    Ellen M. Levee DVM

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  1. Ellen M. Levee DVM
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Levee, E. Response to Protocol Review Scenario: No Authority. Lab Anim 33, 16–17 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban1104-16b

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/laban1104-16b

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