VETPARTNERS has shown its support for cross-sector collaboration to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials by announcing a further reduction in the use of antibiotics across our UK practices.
Data included in our newly published 2024 Antibiotics Stewardship Report shows the use of antibiotics has declined by 44% since 2021.
The report has been published to coincide with World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week (November 18th to 24th), a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR and promote best practices among One Health stakeholders to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.
To effectively reduce AMR, the World Health Organisation has called on all sectors, including the veterinary profession, to use antimicrobials prudently and appropriately, take preventive measures to decrease the incidence of infections and follow good practices in disposal of antimicrobial contaminated waste.
VetPartners is committed to progressing the responsible use of antibiotics in its UK practices amid the ongoing global threat of AMR to humans, animals, plants and the environment. All species groups – small animal, farm and equine – across VetPartners’ UK Practices showed a reduction in the use of antibiotics during 2024.
The data contained in the latest Antibiotics Stewardship Report was collected via audit, HR and purchasing information, and shows a reduction overall in the amount of antibiotics purchased per full-time equivalent vet.
Among the findings in the 2024 Antibiotics Stewardship Report are:
- The use of enrofloxacin – classed as Highest Priority Critically Important Antibiotics (HP_CIAs) by the World Health Organisation – has reduced in our small animal practices by 65.8% since 2021.
- Purchasing of cefovecin in small animal practice has reduced by 38.2% since 2021, whilst purchasing of ceftiofur in equine practice has reduced by 51.3% over the same period.
- VetPartners has increased the use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) by 11.1% in safeguarding farm animal health and welfare while also achieving a 26.7% decrease in antibiotic use since 2021.
VetPartners Director of Clinical Research and Excellence in Practice Dr Rachel Dean believes the latest reduction in the use of antibiotics across the veterinary group is another important step forward in tackling a global issue.
Dr Dean said: “All of the success and the progress we have made in reducing our use of antibiotics has been down to our people in practices as they feel very passionate about this. We want to move forward in a progressive way with how we use these really important drugs, but we will also remain patient-focused to ensure we deliver high quality care.
“Our focus has been on the appropriate use of antimicrobials and a positive result of this has been a reduction in their use across our practices in the UK while still protecting great clinical outcomes and safeguarding the health and welfare of animals we treat.
“We aim to use these drugs only when needed and select which ones we use appropriately so we can reduce the risk of resistance and protect the efficacy of these drugs for the future health of humans and animals.”
The VetPartners Clinical Board introduced a number of key initiatives across its practice teams to support a reduction in the use of antibiotics.
These included CPD courses to support vets in the responsible use of cefovecin in cats and enrofloxacin in rabbits, and exploring scenarios where other treatment options could be appropriately used. Clinical decision-making resources have also been produced to help farm vets better utilise NSAIDs when refining their antibiotic choices in cattle and to promote the responsible use of antibiotics at lambing time.
Read the VetPartners Antibiotics Stewardship report here: https://www.vetpartners.co.uk/app/uploads/2024/11/4231-Antibiotic-Stewardship-Report-2024_compressed.pdf
For media enquiries, please contact Amanda Little, VetPartners PR and Communications Director, at amanda.little@vetpartners.co.uk or 07970 198492
