The University of Massachusetts, Amherst is a Public Health Service (PHS) Assured Institution. Compliance Monitoring is sometimes referred to as Post Approval Monitoring (PAM), wherein approved animal work is continuously monitored during the approval period. The goal of continuous monitoring is to provide federally required assurance that animal work at UMASS Amherst is conducted according to federal regulations (as approved in animal use protocols).
PAM is accomplished in several ways at UMASS Amherst:
1. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) performs semi-annual inspections of all areas that house animals or where animals are used for experimental purposes. This includes, but is not limited to: support areas such as transportation vehicles, feed and bedding storage areas, wash rooms, surgical rooms, drugs and medications, and autoclaves. During these inspections, members of the IACUC are able to observe animals in their current housing locations and periodically may observe animals in active procedures. These inspections are typically announced, but may not be.
2. Each protocol is reviewed and approved for a 3 year period; however, the IACUC requires annual renewal of all protocols, thereby allowing for additional monitoring during the one year anniversary of a protocol.
3. The IACUC Office works closely with the Animal Care Services (ACS). Animal Care Technicians monitor health and well-being of animals daily. Animal Care Technicians often are the first to notice a problem, whether it is a facility issue, an animal health issue, or concerns regarding a procedure they may observe as they work in the facilities. Animal Care Technicians communicate concerns to ACS Managers who then communicate to the IACUC Office.
4. The Research Compliance Specialist may perform interim inspections and laboratory visits between the formal semi-annuals as one component of the PAM program. These visits are modeled on the semi-annual inspections where all facilities and labs in the program may be inspected for, but not limited to: animal well-being, cleanliness, expiration dates, labels, SOPs, up-to-date personnel lists, condition of equipment and surgical records. These visits are typically unannounced.
5. The IACUC Office may perform follow up checks to areas that were cited and reported as corrected in order to confirm correction is; complete, thorough and appropriate.
6. The Research Compliance Specialist may perform additional full protocol reviews. These focus on individual lab operations and research protocols and may include: meeting with PI or other lab personnel, performing facility and animal inspections, and observing procedures. These PAM visits will be announced scheduled visits. Compliance and the PI will work together to ensure all work is being performed in accordance with the approved protocol(s).
Updated August 12, 2015
