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Vets urged by charity to become Antibiotic Guardians
“AMR is a complex global issue that everyone must work together to tackle” –
RCVS Knowledge calls on vet teams to work together to tackle AMR.

The charity RCVS Knowledge is encouraging veterinary professionals to become Antibiotic Guardians in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

CPD courses are available on the RCVS Knowledge Learn training platform, with specialist courses for companion animals, equine, small mammals, avians, and exotics.

Any member of a veterinary team can take the courses and will be awarded an Antibiotic Guardian certificate at one of four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

To help reduce AMR, the charity wants every companion animal and equine veterinary practice in the UK to contain a member of the team who has been awarded a gold-level Antibiotic Guardian certificate.

On the courses, learners are taught how to encourage responsible antibiotic use, how to manage specific conditions with and without antibiotics, and how to introduce stewardship measures.

The charity runs a separate Farm Vet Champions scheme for veterinary professionals who work with farm animals.

Fergus Allerton, clinical lead for medicines at RCVS Knowledge, said: “AMR is a complex global issue that everyone must work together to tackle. Our CPD course on responsible antibiotic use was created by veterinary professionals, for veterinary professionals, and will help you to learn all the stewardship essentials.

“Becoming an Antibiotic Guardian will give you the skills and the confidence to make responsible decisions when using antibiotics, and help your colleagues do the same.

“If every veterinary practice in the UK has just one Gold Antibiotic Guardian, this will prompt important conversations among colleagues and translate into meaningful changes in our prescribing habits. Together we can make a real difference.”

Image © Shutterstock

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Antibiotic Amnesty survey opens

News Story 1
 The Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance - Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA - CA&E) has launched a survey which seeks to measure the success of this year's Antibiotic Amnesty campaign.

Its results will help the group to calculate how many unused or out-of-date antibiotics were returned as part of the campaign throughout November. Practices are also asked how they engaged with clients to raise awareness of the issue.

Participating practices can enter a prize draw to win up to 100 in vouchers for taking part. Further prizes from BSAVA and Webinar Vet will be available for practices with the best input.

The survey takes a few minutes to complete and will be running throughout December. It can be accessed via this link. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA survey investigates sheep worrying

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has launched its latest survey to better understand the severity of sheep worrying in the UK.

The survey will be open until Friday, 21 February 2025. UK sheep farmers are invited to share their experiences of sheep worrying by dogs and its impact on the industry.

NSA has been gathering information about sheep worrying for over 10 years as part of its campaign to raise awareness of incidents and produce new ways of educating the public.

Sheep worrying, often caused by dogs being loose near fields, can result in physical injury, miscarriage and death of animals affected.

The results of the survey will be shared with interested parties, including the UK press, before spring and ahead of lambing season next year.

For more information, or to complete the survey, visit NSA's website.