AVMA offers resources during World Antimicrobial Awareness Week

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week is Nov. 18-24, together with U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week.

According to the World Health Organization, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week is a global campaign that is celebrated annually to improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance and encourage best practices to reduce the further emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance.

U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week is an annual observance that similarly highlights the steps everyone can take to improve antibiotic prescribing and use.

“Improving the way healthcare professionals prescribe antibiotics, and the way patients take antibiotics, helps keep patients healthy now, helps fight antimicrobial resistance, and ensures that these life-saving drugs will be available for future generations,” according to a webpage from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on getting involved in the observance.

USAAW involves collaboration among the CDC, state-based programs, nonprofit partners, and for-profit partners. Participants can join official USAAW events or host their own.

The AVMA provides a variety of resources on antimicrobial use in veterinary practice. The AVMA Committee on Antimicrobials recently created flyers to assist AVMA members in their discussions with cat and dog owners about when antibiotics are needed, similar to materials available for human medicine from the CDC.

The AVMA also offers a back-office poster on antimicrobial stewardship (PDF), which provides principles for antimicrobial stewardship in any veterinary practice setting.

Among other AVMA resources are policies on antimicrobial use and resistance, information about veterinary feed directives, additional resources for veterinary teams, additional client education materials, and guidance by species.