29 Aug 2024
However, leaders of the Veterinary Antibiotic Amnesty acknowledge more still needs to be done to raise professional engagement ahead of the third annual programme in November.
Allister Webb
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Image © Stanislau_V / Adobe Stock
Veterinary practices that made the biggest contributions to a campaign promoting responsible medicine usage have joined calls for more of their peers to get involved this year.
Leaders of the Veterinary Antibiotic Amnesty have acknowledged more still needs to be done to raise professional engagement ahead of the third annual programme in November.
But after the 2023 scheme achieved substantial increases in the amount of items returned, officials said teams that took part should be “proud” of their roles so far.
Around 2,500 tablets, more than three times the previous year’s total, were returned during the 2023 amnesty, plus nearly 300 other products. Five practices whose efforts were assessed to have made the biggest impact have now been recognised by the RUMA Companion Animal and Equine Alliance (CA&E), which oversees the campaign.
The most successful individual practice was Wilbury Vets in Hove, where 285 tablets, seven packs of topicals and six bottles of oral suspensions were returned.
Practice manager Anne Greenwood said it felt “good to be making a difference” to the issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
She said: “AMR is a problem in both human and veterinary medicine, and an amnesty is a brilliant way to focus efforts to help prevent inappropriate use and negative impacts on the environment.”
More than 200 tablets were also returned to one of four runner-up practices, the Willows Veterinary Centre in Solihull, where the campaign’s impact went beyond veterinary products alone.
RVN and pharmacy team leader Charlotte Robinson said: “Our conversations with clients led to some of them saying that they had their own ‘human’ medications at home, so we encouraged them to return these to their local pharmacy for safe disposal, as well as encouraging them to return any unused veterinary medicines.”
Among the other runner-up practices, Sarah Keirl, head dispensary technician at the RVC Queen Mother Hospital for Animals in Hertfordshire, called for “as many practices as possible” to take part in this year’s amnesty.
Steve Leonard, clinical director of Leonard Brothers Veterinary Centre in Shropshire, urged practices to appoint an antibiotic amnesty champion to spearhead the initiative.
And Rhiannon Mann, head of dispensary at Rosemullion Vets in Cornwall, said she was proud of their “strict line” on prescribing antibiotics only where symptom presentation and testing indicate they would resolve an individual case.
She added: “Many people are simply not aware of the economic and social impacts that AMR can have, not only on prolonging recoveries in the health care sector and veterinary practices, but also on agriculture and ecosystems.”
RUMA CA&E secretary general Steve Howard said the group was “delighted” by both the number of products returned and the growth of engagement last year, as they sought to encourage even more clinicians and clients to take part this time around.
He said: “The reality is that any amount of returned antibiotics is a win and it means that these medicines can be disposed of safely, protecting the environment and preventing any complications from misuse.
“We are fully aware of the pressures on the profession, so the increase was great to see, and we are very grateful to those that took part. However, we know that there is still much work to do to get even more practices on board this year.”
More information about how to take part in this year’s amnesty, which is part-sponsored by Zoetis, is available from the website.
