The problem
Clients sometimes have leftover antibiotics at home, either from a previous pet or a current prescription that they didn’t finish giving. The temptation to self-treat their pet, or a neighbour’s pet, is higher if they are easily accessible.
The best thing for pet owners to do to ensure these medications are disposed of safely is to bring them back to their local veterinary practice.
What you can do
Get involved in the amnesty by encouraging your clients to return unused antibiotics and other medicines.
- Talk about the Animal Medicines Amnesty with your practice team and have conversations with your clients about antimicrobial resistance and the risks of not using antimicrobials responsibly.
- Encourage clients to return any unused antibiotics to your practice.
- Use the campaign resources available on the RUMA companion animal & equine website, including reception posters, social media posts client hand-outs and more.
- You can also support conversations with your clients by:
- adding stickers / notes to any prescriptions
- including details of the amnesty in your practice newsletter
- modifying vaccination reminders to mention this initiative
- contacting owners who have had antibiotics dispensed in recent months to tell them about the amnesty and prompt them to return any unused antibiotics – especially if they are due in again soon.
- Using the hashtag for the campaign activity across your social channels #AnimalMedicinesAmnesty
After the amnesty
- Record the number of conversations had with clients about returning antibiotics – not only the number but also any useful feedback.
- Record the number of antibiotics returned to your practice during November.
- Feedback this number to the amnesty partners via this link
About the campaign
The first veterinary Animal Medicines Amnesty campaign (then known as the Antibiotic Amnesty) ran in 2022 and has gone from strength to strength since. The collaborative campaign runs across the veterinary profession, and practices are actively being encouraged to take part and contribute to this important initiative.
The campaign is designed to encourage members of the public to bring back unused or unwanted antibiotics to their vet practice for safe disposal. The amnesty is led by a collaboration of UK veterinary organisations, practices and charities to educate owners about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and raise awareness of the importance of the safe use and disposal of these important medicines to address AMR and prevent environmental pollution.
The amnesty is an opportunity for all members of the veterinary team to raise awareness about antibiotic stewardship in general and contribute positively to the fight against AMR.
The amnesty takes place during the entire month of November, overlapping World Antibiotic Awareness Week (18-24 November in 2024). It is led by Responsible use of Medicines Alliance Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA CA&E).
