Investigation of USDA Labs Underway in Iowa
Allegations are being examined by Inspector General's office.
Compiled by staff
Published: Feb 5, 2009
The Office of Inspector General has been looking into allegations that employees at USDA laboratories in Ames, Iowa, have been involved in using veterinary credentials to purchase medications for human use. According to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack as a result of the investigation, 19 employees have been placed on administrative leave until a complete review of the evidence is conducted.
"Accountability is of the utmost importance in our laboratories, which are internationally renowned," Vilsack said. "In an effort to be fully transparent and reaffirm the trust of the American public our stakeholders and trading partners, we have commissioned two third-party reviews - one of the laboratory processes at the Ames facility and the other of the management processes. The laboratory review has been completed, and although we are still in the process of thoroughly evaluating the results, we are gratified to see that it affirmed the laboratory is generally functioning very well and successfully fulfilling its responsibilities."
The management review, which is expected to provide insight regarding how USDA can prevent such situations from recurring, is ready to begin. Vilsack says unless privacy or security concerns dictate otherwise, both reviews and any corrective actions taken as a result of them will be available to the public once they are complete. There is no evidence that any test results or other official laboratory activities were compromised in any way by this alleged activity.
USDA has three laboratories co-located at Ames, Iowa. The National Veterinary Services Laboratories and the Center for Veterinary Biologics are part of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The National Animal Disease Center is a part of the Agricultural Research Service.
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