BEVA launches antimicrobial monitoring campaign
"It is important that we demonstrate, as a sector, that our usage of antimicrobials is responsible and proportionate, to ensure continued access." - Bruce Bladon
The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has launched a new campaign, as it aims to better understand how antibiotics are used in the equine sector.
The MonitorME project was launched this month to gather antimicrobial usage data from equine practices across the UK.
BEVA is urging practices to share usage data from their practice management systems to the BEVA office. This will be collated to create a nationwide data set of antimicrobial usage in the equine sector.
The information will ideally include the total mg of each antimicrobial used. It should also include the total number of horses treated by the practice in the past year, regardless of whether they were treated with antibiotics, and their average weight.
The data will be analysed and collated into an annual report, which will then be published on the BEVA MonitorME webpage.
The organisation’s 2023 report on antimicrobial usage is already available, but will be continually updated as practices submit their 2023 data. BEVA has already started collating data from 2024.
The new campaign will feature as a key theme at this year’s BEVA Congress, as the organisation aims to demonstrate the sector’s responsible approach to antimicrobial usage.
BEVA president Bruce Bladon said: “Growing resistance to antibiotics is a very serious public health crisis, which is why I have chosen it as the overriding theme for my presidential year and for the forthcoming BEVA Congress,
“The World Health Organisation has the usage of veterinary antimicrobials firmly in their sights and the possibility of legislation being implemented to limit our access to these vital drugs is becoming ever more likely.
“It is important that we demonstrate, as a sector, that our usage of antimicrobials is responsible and proportionate, to ensure continued access. Taking part in a project like this is, without a doubt, the right thing to do.”
There is more information on the BEVA MonitorME webpage, or practices can submit their data to antibiotics@beva.org.uk for collation into the 2024 data set.
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Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
