The veterinary profession is coming together again this November to hold an #AntibioticAmnesty!

The aim is to encourage clients to return any unused or out of date antibiotics. This will allow correct and safe disposal of the antibiotic medications, which will avoid contamination of the environment and help prevent antimicrobial resistance due to inappropriate disposal. This year the campaign is brought to you by RUMA Companion Animal and Equine and is being sponsored by Zoetis.

Visit the RUMA website here to download lots of resources to help promote the campaign and to encourage your clients to bring their unused antibiotics back to be disposed of.

What is the issue?

Antibiotics are essential to treat many conditions in both humans and animals. But they must be used carefully, to ensure they are effective when patients really need them.

If not used responsibly, antibiotics lead to dangerous side effects, delay an accurate diagnosis, and contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Inappropriate disposal of unused antibiotics also damages the environment, impacting water quality and wildlife.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest global health issues of our time. We must act, together.

What can you do in your vet practice?

  • Talk about the Antibiotic Amnesty with your practice team and share the information in the resources available below.
  • Have conversations with clients about antimicrobial resistance and the risks of not using antimicrobials responsibly and encourage the return of any unused antibiotics.
  • Contact owners who have had antibiotics dispensed in recent months to tell them about the amnesty and prompt them to return any unused antibiotics – especially if they are due in again soon.
  • Display the poster/s below in your waiting room.
  • Share the resources below on your practice social media channels and website.
  • Add stickers to packets of tablets or prescription bags.
  • Modify vaccination booster reminders to include a mention of this initiative.
  • Include details of the amnesty in client newsletters during November.

Information for livestock and veterinary professionals

A number of animal health organisations have produced guidelines and guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics, as well as additional resources:

  • The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance publishes antimicrobial use targets for the livestock sectors and progress updates towards achieving those targets, and also includes:
  • The RCVS AMR knowledge hub has resources for vets including:
    • Farm Vet Champions, which provides 20 hours of free on-demand continuing professional development to vets (and other veterinary team members and veterinary students). It includes technical species-specific modules, a focus on the responsible prescribing of antibiotics as well as modules looking at vet-farmer communication skills and behaviour change principles
    • Vet Team AMR champions the responsible use of antimicrobials within companion animal, farm animal and equine veterinary teams
  • Animal medicines best practice provides online training for dairy, beef, sheep and pig farmers on the responsible use of antibiotics
  • Farm antibiotics website provides news, facts, statistics, science and reports relating to antibiotics and UK farming
  • Scotland’s healthy animals provides guidance on keeping animals healthy to farmers and livestock keepers, companion animal (pet) and horse keepers, wildlife and rescue centres, animal health professionals and members of the public