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The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published a report on sales of veterinary antimicrobial agents in Europe in 2011. A total of 25 European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) countries have submitted data to the EMA, marking a further improvement to the 2010 report, as these countries account for approximately 95% of the food-producing animal population in the EU and EEA.
The report highlights that 19 of the 20 countries that provided data to the ESVAC project in both 2010 and 2011 reported a decrease in sales in 2011, ranging from 0.4% to 28%. While it is premature to consider this as representing a definitive trend, it is a positive sign at this early stage of reporting. If it continues in future years, it could suggest that initiatives such as responsible-use campaigns, restrictions of use, increased awareness of the threat of antimicrobial resistance and the setting of targets for use reduction in EU Member States are starting to have an impact in terms of reducing the overall sale of antimicrobials in the veterinary sector.
As recognised by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) in the CVMP strategy on antimicrobials 2011-2015, the responsible use of antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine is a key factor in minimising the risk of the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Collecting accurate data on the sales of antimicrobial agents in food-producing animals is an essential first step to support the development and monitoring of policies to minimise the risk of antibiotic resistance in the food chain.
Tuesday October 15, 2013/ EMA/ European Union.
http://www.ema.europa.eu
