Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Antimicrobial dispensing by Ontario dairy veterinarians.
- Journal:
- The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
- Year:
- 2015
- Authors:
- Léger, David F et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Population Medicine · Canada
Plain-English summary
A recent study looked at how dairy veterinarians in Ontario handle the dispensing of antibiotics on farms and over-the-counter. It found that the rules about whether a drug needs a prescription and the relationship between the vet and the farmer are important when it comes to giving out these medications. However, many records of antibiotic dispensing were incomplete, and only a few on-farm records had the necessary information and instructions. While the veterinarians acknowledged that using antibiotics in dairy cows could lead to resistance, they didn't see it as a major public health concern. The study suggests that veterinarians should provide clear written instructions to farmers to help manage antibiotic use better.
Abstract
This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was designed to capture the demographics of dairy practitioners in Ontario and to describe aspects of antimicrobial dispensing on-farm and over-the-counter by these veterinarians. The information collected revealed that the prescription status of a drug and the level of veterinary-client-patient relationship were important elements of dispensing policies. Over-the-counter dispensing records were incomplete, while only a small proportion of on-farm dispensing records contained pertinent information and directions as required by the Veterinarians Act. While respondents recognized that antimicrobial use in dairy herds could lead to resistance in cattle, few indicated that this was a significant public health issue. Veterinarians can play a key role in antimicrobial stewardship, part of which is the provision of complete written dispensing instructions to producers for antimicrobial use in dairy cattle.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26130834/