17 Dec 2020
RCVS Knowledge is leading a project to empower farm animal vets and wider practice teams to establish antimicrobial protocols.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
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RCVS Knowledge is leading a major collaborative project to allow farm animal vets to establish and embed good antimicrobial stewardship schemes.
The Farm Vet Champions project aims to support farm vets by providing help in leadership and inspiration in helping them spread their one health messages with clients.
The project wants to bring together a community of farm vet champions to work on antimicrobial resistance issues. The plan is a key part of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) targets for the UK cattle and sheep sectors up to 2024.
In the first phase of the project, funded by the VMD, RCVS Knowledge will work with the BVA and its sector-specific divisions to create free, evidence-based, species-specific online learning packages under the clinical leadership of Fiona Lovatt, RCVS-recognised specialist in sheep health and production.
The training will cover communication skills – particularly around farmer attitudes, behaviour and compliance. Veterinary practitioners will get access to all tools and practices will not be limited to the number of farm vet champions they have.
In the planned second phase, farm vet champions and practices will be able to set SMART goals at an individual and practice level. They will be able to track progress via an online platform.
The initiative has the full support of:
The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance has also welcomed the development.
Chris Gush, executive director of RCVS Knowledge, said: “We look forward to working closely with the key industry associations to create a valuable, practical resource that will have a tangible impact on antimicrobial prescribing in the UK.”
To register interest and receive project updates, visit the RCVS Knowledge website and follow the project hashtag #FarmVetChampions.
