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The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published the sixth report on the sales of veterinary antibiotics in Europe, highlighting a continuing downward trend between 2011 and 2014. The trends give reassurance that Member States continue to adopt a more responsible attitude towards the use of antibiotics in animals.
A total of 29 European countries — 28 European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland — submitted data on sales or prescriptions (two countries) of antimicrobial v eterinary medicinal products (VMPs) to the European Medicines Agency for 2014.
The report covers the period between 2011 and 2014. A total of 25 countries have provided data for the entire timespan. A decrease of 2.4% in total sales (mg/ population correction unit – PCU, PCU meaning the estimated weight of livestock and slaughtered animals) of antimicrobial veterinary products was observed between those years, despite a considerable increase in one of the European countries in which the most sales were registered due to an improvement in data collection system. In 24 of these countries that provided data for this four-year period a decrease of 12% was noted.
The substantial decline in the sales of antimicrobials for food-producing animals observed in some countries indicates that there is also a potential for a decrease in other countries. Despite low overall decrease in sales of veterinary antimicrobial products, data demonstrate that actions taken in the fight against antimicrobial resistance by the Member States are making a difference. Many countries are focusing on local actions to further reduce antimicrobial consumption and hence, resistance.
Overall, pigs, cattle, poultry and sheep/goats accounted for 33% (19.593), 32% (18.855), 14% (8.050) and 13% (7.801), respectively, of the PCU (population correction unit;i.e. the estimated weight at treatment of livestock and of slaughter animals) in the 29 countries.
PCU and its distribution by the food-producing animal species, including horses,(PCU = 1 kg), by country, in 2014.
Friday October 14, 2016/ EMA/ European Union.
http://www.ema.europa.eu
