News: Surveys needed of resistance to antibiotics in animals

The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7164 p313-316
8 September 2001

Surveys needed of resistance to antibiotics in animals

More surveillance of the development of resistance to antibiotics used for treating animals is needed, according to a working party set up by the Veterinary Products Committee, an independent advisory body to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

In a draft report published on 31 August, the working party recommends that an antimicrobial resistance development and post-marketing surveillance resistance monitoring scheme be established.

This scheme would need to be independent and transparent, it says. The scheme should use methodology harmonised across Europe and should collect samples from abattoirs. Surveillance will need to be carried out on imported meat and meat products as well. The information collected from this scheme would be used in the overall risk assessment of antimicrobials during licensing or licence renewal.

The working party recommends that all antimicrobials used for prophylactic or therapeutic use in livestock should be classified as prescription only medicines. Coccidiostats (used to treat protozoal infections in birds) and antimicrobial growth-enhancers should become licensed veterinary products rather than feed additives.

More work should be carried out on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antimicrobials. Studies should establish whether it is the time for which minimum inhibitory concentrations of the drug are maintained or the maximum concentration is reached, or both, which determine the drug’s effectiveness. This information should be used to set optimum courses of administration.

Copies of the draft report can be obtained from Dr Kay Goodyear, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3LS (tel 01932 338409, e-mail k.goodyear@vmd.defra.gsi.gov.uk). Comments on the report should be sent to Dr Goodyear by 31 October.