Vets encouraged to take part in the antibiotic amnesty survey

5 December 2022

The antibiotic amnesty took place this November as part of Antimicrobial Awareness Week (18^th – 24^th November). The amnesty focused on veterinary practices asking their clients to return their unused antibiotics and counting the number that had been returned.

If they’re not used responsibly, antibiotics can lead to serious side effects, contribute to antimicrobial resistance, and also potentially damage the environment, impacting on wildlife and water quality.

Veterinary groups that took part in the amnesty comprise of CVS Group, IVC Evidensia, Linnaeus and Vets4Pets. They are joined by the BEVA, BSAVA, BVA, FIVP, NOAH, RCVS, RCVS Knowledge, RUMA CA&E, VMD and the Bella Moss Foundation.

You can provide your feedback on your experiences with the Antibiotic Amnesty in this survey. Providing this feedback allows you to enter into a Prize Draw for some amazing prizes from the BSAVA, BEVA, NOAH, Webinar Vet (details at the end of the survey). These prizes will be drawn randomly from the entries so all contributions to the Amnesty count!

Take a look at BSAVA’s resources

In November’s issue of Companion, Fergus Allerton and Ian Ramsey gave an update on antimicrobial resistance and discuss the Antibiotic Amnesty. You can read the full article here.

The BSAVA/SAMSoc Guide to Responsible Use of Antibacterials (PROTECT ME) is a free resource for all members of the veterinary profession. Last updated in August 2021, this reflects the current guidance from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on the categorization of antibiotics. Access the PROTECT ME poster now.