Abstract
Simple SummaryVeterinary electronic prescription (VEP) is mandatory by law, dated 20 November 2017, No. 167 (European Law 2017) Article 3, and has been implemented in Italy since April 2019. In this study, the consumption of antimicrobials before and after the mandatory use of VEP was analyzed at the Italian University Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Naples in order to understand how the traceability of antimicrobials influences veterinary prescriptions. The applicability and utility of VEP may present an effective surveillance strategy able to limit both the improper use of antimicrobials and the spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens, which have become a worrying threat both in veterinary and human medicine.Over recent decades, antimicrobial resistance has been considered one of the most relevant issues of public health. The aim of our study was to evaluate the differences related to the prescription of antimicrobials at the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, before and after the mandatory use of veterinary electronic prescription (VEP). In particular, the consumption of antimicrobials was examined, especially taking into consideration the recommendations of prudent use. A comparison of data collected before and after the use of electronic prescription highlighted that during the period chosen for the study, the choice of antimicrobial molecules was appropriate, favoring those of “first” and “second line.” However, prescription and the use of some molecules not registered for veterinary medicine were observed in the period before VEP. Broad-spectrum antimicrobials, including penicillins with β-lactamase inhibitors, as well as first-generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones, were the most frequently prescribed compounds. There are few studies conducted in Italy aimed at investigating the use of antimicrobials in companion animals under field conditions and with particular regard to prudent use recommendations. This type of study underlines the importance of electronic medical recording in veterinary practice and, above all, its usefulness in monitoring the use of certain antimicrobial agents classified as of critical importance in human medicine.
Highlights
In recent decades, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become an important issue worldwide, affecting many public health fields, such as human and veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, agriculture, the environment, and trade
The aim of our study was to evaluate the differences related to the prescription of antimicrobials at the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, before and after the mandatory use of veterinary electronic prescription (VEP)
The results showed that first-generation cephalosporins and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid were the molecules most used in pets suffering from skin infections
Summary
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become an important issue worldwide, affecting many public health fields, such as human and veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, agriculture, the environment, and trade. Many studies show that direct contact with animals may, under certain conditions, play an important role in the transmission of resistance. This is potentially dangerous for people who live or work in close contact with animals, mostly livestock animals, but in recent years, cases in pets have increased [1]. A great concern is presented toward zoonotic-resistant bacteria, which can spread from animals to humans and vice versa, especially by direct contact with pets. The administration of lincosamides (clindamycin), fluoroquinolones, macrolides, tetracyclines (doxycycline), nitroimidazoles, and trimethoprim/sulphonamides has been regularly described in small animal clinical settings, to a lesser extent than β-lactams [20]
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