BSAVA asks for feedback on antibiotic tool
Veterinary professionals from all areas of practice are asked to respond by the end of May.
The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) and the Small Animal Medicine Society (SAMSoc) are calling for feedback, as they seek to develop a decision-making tool for antibiotics.
The resource will support veterinary professionals with the prescription of antibiotics, as the organisations work to combat antimicrobial resistance.
A demo version of the tool was launched at BSAVA Congress, which took place in March. BSAVA are now asking for feedback from veterinary professionals from all areas of practice before the end of May.
The tool aims to give veterinary professionals more confidence with deciding when to prescribe, and when to withhold, antibiotics from animals. A current demo version only covers advice on gastrointestinal infections, however there is additional work underway to cover more areas.
It is the next step of the organisation’s PROTECTME initiative, which seeks to encourage responsible antibacterial use within the veterinary community.
The core of the initiative will be the BSAVA/SAMSoc Guide to Responsible Use of Antibiotics: PROTECTME guide. It will accompany an ‘Antibiotic use in our practice’ poster in the BSAVA Library.
Other new additions to BSAVA’s PROTECTME initiative have included a collection of resources to support the medication of cats, produced by the International Society of Feline Medicine and the Feline Centre at Langford Vets. There is also a new FAQ section for owners who have received a non-prescription form.
Cameron Shuttlewood, production editor at BSAVA, said: “Responsible use of veterinary medicines is key in supporting One Health and in retaining the right to prescribe antibiotics that are important in human medicine.
“We are pleased that the small animal veterinary community is embracing the importance of antibiotic stewardship, and we want this tool to make it quick and easy to follow existing evidence-based guidance.”
Veterinary professionals can try out the new tool here.
The full PROTECTME guide, which includes printable posters and non-prescription forms, can be found here. BSAVA members can request free copies of the poster, and non-members can purchase them from the shop.
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Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.
