Identifying veterinary surgeons’ barriers to, and potential solutions for, improving antimicrobial stewardship among sheep farmers in Northern Ireland

Crawford, P. E., Hamer, K., Lovatt, F., Behnke, M. C. and Robinson, P. A. (2024) Identifying veterinary surgeons’ barriers to, and potential solutions for, improving antimicrobial stewardship among sheep farmers in Northern Ireland. Veterinary Record Open, 11(1), e278. (doi: 10.1002/vro2.78)

Abstract

Background: In order to improve antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), including changes in antimicrobial prescribing and use, an enhanced understanding is needed of the barriers that veterinary surgeons (vets) encounter to institute such change. Methods: A qualitative approach, using grounded theory, was followed. Interviews and discussion groups, with vets and farm industry stakeholders in Northern Ireland (NI), were undertaken to identify and explore attitudes and behaviours surrounding AMS, with a particular emphasis on the barriers vets encountered and the context within which they were working. Results: Seven inter‐related themes associated with improving AMS among their sheep farming clients were identified. The first six addressed barriers were working under commercial and practical constraints, farmer behaviour, multiple medicine sources, poor prescribing practice, a perceived lack of incentive or facilitation to improve AMS and a perceived lack of action by regulators to challenge poor AMS. The seventh theme revealed suggestions vets considered that may improve AMS in NI, including greater state intervention in recording and regulating medicine sales. Conclusions: Improving AMS will require vets and their client farmers to change behaviour. This will involve concerted effort over an extended period of time to enact and embed change. Veterinary surgeons believe that further action by the industry and state to develop centralised antimicrobial sales recording and by the state to enforce prescribing regulations will aid their efforts. However, critical to achieving this is the development of a sustainable and funded mechanism to create more meaningful farmer–vet consultation around flock health prior to every prescription to improve AMS and sheep welfare.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Hamer, Miss Kim
• Authors: Crawford, P. E., Hamer, K., Lovatt, F., Behnke, M. C., and Robinson, P. A.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Veterinary Record Open
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 2052-6113
• ISSN (Online): 2052-6113
• Published Online: 12 April 2024
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2024 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Veterinary Record Open 11(1):e278
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence