British Veterinary Association establishes antimicrobial usage guidelines

London, England

-– To help promote the responsible use of antimicrobials by British practitioners, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has put together an 8-point plan that will be distributed as a poster with the Nov. 21, 2009, issue of

The Veterinary Record

. The poster is a response to increasing concern about antimicrobial resistance and the potential for that resistance being transferred to people through food-borne pathogens.

The eight points are:

1. Work with clients to avoid need for antimicrobials

2. Avoid inappropriate use

3. Choose the right drug for the right bug

4. Monitor antimicrobial sensitivity

5. Minimize prophylactic use

6. Minimize use perioperatively

7. Record and justify deviations from protocols

8. Report suspected failure to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate

The eight points support the international "One World, One Health" initiative, which promotes awareness of the link between animal diseases and human health. The BVA is working with the Federation of Veterinarians in Europe to use the poster and guidelines in other European Union countries as well.

"We hope that vets in all types of practice will put up the poster to serve as a constant reminder to them and their clients that responsible use of medicines is vitally important for the future of animal health," said BVA President Bill Reilly.

To download a PDF of the poster, click here. In addition, a PDF that contains more details for each point is available for download here. You also can visit the BVA’s Web site for more information.