12 Jan 2026
Group promoting responsible use shares parasiticide strategy details in fourth annual progress report.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Image: © andreysp03 / Adobe Stock
An industry group dedicated to the responsible use of antibiotics has announced a new focus on sustainable parasite control.
The Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance – Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA CA&E) set out its fourth annual progress report, in which it said parasiticides will form its “next core area of focus” for 2026 and beyond.
It said it will continue to work on antimicrobial usage (AMU) in tandem and that it will focus on other medicine classes in the future.
RUMA CA&E’s parasiticides position statement is: “To encourage and support animal owners, the veterinary profession and other sources to supply, use, and dispose of parasiticides, in a manner which balances the impact and benefits of these products on people, animals and the environment.”
To deliver the strategy, the group has created a parasiticides hub area on its website with relevant guidance and resources on responsible usage from across the veterinary profession, and pledged to add its own resources to the page over time.
The organisation’s Targets and Measures Working Group will lead work to identify suitable ways to track and report usage to protect parasiticide efficacy.
RUMA CA&E will also launch a campaign to educate animal owners about the environmental impact of inappropriate disposal and develop resources that practices can use to educate them on good application of parasiticides.
The strategy follows the creation of a short-term sub-group, the Medicines Stewardship Beyond Antimicrobials group.
It assessed the use of anthelmintic, endoparasiticide and ectoparasiticide products, potential development of resistance to them, their environmental and human impact and graded their risk factors.
Secretary general Steve Howard said: “The group noted that these medicines play a crucial role in protecting animal and human health and welfare and therefore, there is a need to balance responsible and correct use and educate owners to avoid misapplication.”
He added: “More evidence gathering will be important moving forwards to understand some of the wider impacts on resistance and on the environment of these and other classes of medicines in order to develop accurate guidance for the profession but in the absence of that evidence, driving more responsible use, accurate application and safe disposal by pet owners, would most certainly have a positive impact in the meantime from a one health perspective.”
In November, the VMD announced a regulatory review of general sales list companion animal parasiticides is being considered.
The progress report also reflected on the announcement of the first-ever national targets for AMU reduction in companion animals.
The results of RUMA CA&E’s 2025 Animal Medicines Amnesty campaign are expected to be revealed in February.
