Assessing veterinarians’ opinions of antimicrobial stewardship initiative acceptability for farm practice in Wales

Background:
Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) initiatives are imperative to safeguard antimicrobials and reduce resistance. Across the UK, AMS relies in part on the self-regulation of the veterinary profession, particularly in farm animal practice, alongside voluntary schemes and quality assurance systems. In Europe, AMS initiatives are often statutory and require responsibility from several sectors. Consideration of broader AMS initiatives, potentially unfamiliar to the Welsh veterinary profession, could optimise future policy and align it with the requirements of Welsh veterinarians.

Methods:
AMS initiatives were collated from nations with long-standing low antimicrobial use. A survey was constructed permitting veterinarians' evaluation of initiative feasibility and effectiveness (collectively, ‘acceptability’) within Welsh farm animal practice.

Results:
Veterinarian-directed AMS initiatives, particularly those implemented within individual practices, were considered most acceptable. Initiatives that demanded cooperation from entities outside practices, or those regarded as punitive, were less acceptable.

Limitations:
The findings of this voluntary survey may be biased towards particularly motivated respondents in the veterinary sector. Additionally, the cause or effect of the recorded professional behaviour is not known in this study.

Conclusion:
Future antimicrobial policy should consider AMS acceptability by veterinarians, alongside farmers and other stakeholders, to promote compliance and attainment. The study data suggest that veterinarians may perceive continuous professional development/knowledge exchange as being most acceptable, alongside activities allied to a strong veterinarian‒client prescribing relationship. Continued support should focus on expanding these areas. Decoupling (ie, abolishing the professional licence for veterinarians to both prescribe and dispense medicines) was viewed as least acceptable by veterinarians in this study.