Big reduction in VetPartners antibiotic use 

The team at VetPartners has achieved a year-on-year reduction in antibiotic use following significant efforts to allow for responsible prescribing across the network.

Data included in its newly published 2023 Antibiotics Stewardship Report shows a decline in use of antibiotics for the second successive year.

The data, showing a 22.6% reduction since 2021 in the amount of antibiotics per full-time equivalent vet, was released to coincide with World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week.

Range of measures

Vets working across all species groups contributed to the reduction, with the group having done significant work to play its part in helping preserve high-priority critically important antibiotics.

Measures have included a CPD course on responsible use of cefovecin in cats, auditing of purchasing data for ceftiofur and enrofloxacin, and new resources to aid identification of cases where NSAIDs could be used.

Director of clinical research and excellence in practice Rachel Dean said: “Antimicrobial resistance is a threat to humans, animals, plants and the environment, and it is important that everyone works together to preserve the effectiveness of these drugs that are so important.”

Variations in use

Dr Dean added: “Over the past two years, VetPartners have been looking closely at how many antibiotics we use, when we use them and where we have variations in use, which enables us to see how we can appropriately reduce what we use, or change the antibiotic we use, or replace with another health care intervention.

“Our work in ensuring we use antibiotics in the most responsible way possible and progress our care will continue. We want to move forward in a progressive way with how we use these really important drugs to look after them for the future for animal health, human health and the planet.

“We are progressing in an evidence-based way and everything we do is patient-focused to ensure we deliver high-quality care.”