As the fight against antimicrobial resistance continues, veterinarians from around the world are uniting to ensure best practice is in place. Veterinary organizations in Europe and Canada have issued a joint statement with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to establish oversight of antimicrobial use, mitigation of antimicrobial resistance, and the continuing availability of critical animal and human medications. The Joint Statement on Continuous Monitoring of Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance describes strategies to preserve the effectiveness and availability of antimicrobial drugs and safeguard animal welfare, public health, and the environment. “This joint statement is an important step in recognizing ways we can work together to prevent resistance and ensure antimicrobials continue to be used judiciously in animals,” said AVMA president, John de Jong, DVM. Some recommendations included in the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), and AVMA’s statement are: Veterinarians must retain access to effective antimicrobials for therapeutic purposes for animals suffering from a bacterial disease. Medically or critically important antimicrobials should only be administered to animals with the oversight of a licensed veterinarian. Record keeping is essential at the patient or practice level to evaluate antimicrobial treatments. In addition to evaluating individual cases, there also is a need to monitor the overall use of antimicrobials with both companion animals and food production. A global network should be established for surveillance and monitoring of antimicrobial use and resistance. Easily accessible, effective, rapid, and standardized diagnostic susceptibility tests should be available and their results should be obtainable to facilitate evidence-based decisions about antimicrobials.
