Your practice

Nothing takes place in a vacuum.

The way antimicrobials are prescribed is linked to clinical processes and practice culture.

Does your practice:

Provide ongoing preventive care and vaccination programs?
Have appropriate diagnostic resources, including the skills, and staff time to use these resources?
Have an effective infection prevention and control (IPC) or biosecurity policy?
Have an adequately stocked pharmacy, including alternatives to antibiotic therapy where applicable?
Support relationship-building and effective communication with clients?

If you answered yes to these questions then you are ready to take the next step in antimicrobial stewardship.

What is antimicrobial stewardship?

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is a coherent set of actions that promote the use of antimicrobials in ways that ensure sustainable access to effective therapy for ALL who need them.

An AMS program or policy is a formalised approach to prescribing and biosecurity on a practice level. AMS programs are a mandatory component of human hospital registration, but are currently voluntary for veterinary hospitals.

There are six key actions that we can practise every day to ensure that our prescribing aligns with AMS principles. (Download prescribing principles poster)

Considered on their own, they provide a practical approach to treating infections.

When developed and applied at the practice level, they become prescribing policies. A prescribing policy combined with an IPC or biosecurity policy, becomes an AMS program.

Your AMS program provides procedures and protocols that support all clinical staff, not just prescribing veterinarians.

If you are interested in setting up an AMS program in your clinic you can find some key resources to advise you on this page. More detailed information can also be found in the online learning module dedicated to this topic here.

Resources for your practice

We've collected some great resources to help your practice communicate with clients about AMR and to help your team to keep best practice prescribing and biosecurity forefront in their minds. A well placed reminder can make a big difference. They're free to download, so please print and display or share on your social media channels.