Antibiotic stewardship resources for veterinary surgeons

Antimicrobial resistance is a major global threat of increasing concern to human and animal health. It is estimated that it will be the leading cause of human deaths by 2050 and has implications for both food safety and food security and the economic wellbeing of millions of farming households. Antimicrobial resistance can be spread directly, or indirectly, through food or the environment.

Veterinarians and human health professionals play a very important role in fighting antimicrobial resistance at every opportunity. In June 2015, the Commonwealth of Australia released the National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2015-19 aimed at addressing the issues of antimicrobial resistance in Australia. One of the objectives was to implement effective antimicrobial stewardship practices across human and animal care settings, to ensure the appropriate and judicious prescribing, dispensing and administering of antimicrobials.

To help the veterinary profession continue to improve antibiotic prescribing practices and demonstrate responsible stewardship of antimicrobial drugs, a number of resources have been developed. This includes:

• AIDAP Antibiotic prescribing guidelines for dogs and cats
• AIDAP Infection Control Guidelines
• Veterinary use of antibiotics critical to human health - fact sheet, April 2017
• Agriculture Victoria - resources, September 2017

• Resources on Australian Veterinary Association Antimicrobial Resistance webpage http://www.ava.com.au/amr