Growing Forward 2 - Final Report Project II | Page 58

AN ACTION AGENDA
FOR VETERINARY STEWARDSHIP
Table 25 (continued): An Action Agenda for Veterinary Stewardship of Antibiotic use in Food-Producing Animals in Ontario
Priority Initiative Proposed Tactics
Provide ongoing voluntary
professional development
opportunities for food-animal
veterinarians regarding antibiotic
use. 1. Create the course content to provide graduate veterinarians and student veterinarians:
a. with the latest information on appropriate antibiotic use that:
i. has clearly defined objectives (eg. stewardship versus prescriptive guidelines)
ii. is updated annually
iii. utilizes information from review of existing modules (eg. in Quebec and New Brunswick, continuing
professional education for physicians, etc.)
iv. is evidence-based
v. includes information on the regulatory environment
vi. includes information on how veterinarians can adapt to their role as stewards of antibiotic use,
including its potential impact on their relationship with producers and how to educate individual
producers
vii. includes core content for all veterinarians, with species-specific components to be accessed as
needed depending on scope of practice
b. with the skill sets related to the development, updating and implementation of SOPs to ensure optimal
knowledge transfer to, and uptake by, the producer community
c. with the skill sets related to the development, evaluation and teaching of producer education programs,
which may differ by commodity group
d. with the skill sets to interpret the data provided in laboratory reports on antibiotic sensitivity
2. Design an implementation strategy for delivery of course content to veterinarians, including:
a. delivery of course content at the provincial level
b. assessment of opportunities for delivery, including:
i. in conjunction with existing continuing education events, including species-specific meetings such as
the Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners
ii. as a collaborative program with organizations such as OVC
iii. online modules, plus options for other means of flexible access
c. recognition of the need to accommodate multiple generations of veterinarians and geographic locations
d. consideration of program status being voluntary versus mandatory
ii. if mandatory, consideration of length of time before re-taking course is required
e. consideration of opportunities for recognition/certification of course completion
3. Define and measure indicators for success of program
Develop and/or update, in
collaboration with individual
producers, farm-specific standard
operating procedures (SOPs) for
appropriate antibiotic use. Veterinarians and producers:
1. Share best practices for SOPs, including important aspects such as:
a. good science i.e. evidence-based
b. practicality
c. clarity
d. effectiveness
e. inclusion of preventive/prophylactic protocols
f. tailored to farm management practices
g. include alternative management techniques to reduce antibiotic use
2. Review and evaluate existing SOPs from current quality assurance programs
3. Identify minimum standard templates for on-farm SOPs for appropriate antibiotic use, by species and by
commodity
4. Develop and update species and commodity-specific SOPs as needed, building on existing programs
5. Establish and implement review cycles to regularly update SOPs for appropriate antibiotic use, by species
and by commodity:
a. taking in to account any changing regulatory impacts
b. linking ongoing updating of SOPs to a current veterinarian-client-patient relationship
6. Define and measure indicators for success of SOPs
College of Veterinarians of Ontario 
58