2 Access to antimicrobials

How do farmers get access to antimicrobials for their animals?

Like doctors, veterinarians can prescribe antimicrobials (but only to animals). A prescriber is someone who can give directions for the preparation and administration of a medicine used to treat a disease.

In most countries, there are laws that say only veterinarians can prescribe antimicrobials for animals. However, in some countries, prescribing laws may be weak, non-existent, and/or challenging to enforce. Also, there may not be enough veterinarians to service farmers, or the farmers are in remote locations that are difficult to get to. In these circumstances, people often access antimicrobials for their animals in other ways such as through agrovet drug stores, feed mills or in the open market (Figure 4).

Figure 4 Pathways for accessing antimicrobials for use in food animals

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An infographic of two word boxes showing pathways for obtaining antimicrobials for use in food animals. One box shows the prescription routes (government and private veterinary services) and the other non-prescription routes (pharmacists, Agrovet drug shops, feed mills and drug manufacturers). Each box is drawn with an arrow feeding into a central hopper shape containing a photograph of antimicrobial tablets which are used in the treatment, prevention, control and growth promotion in food animals. The graphic is intended to show where legislation and regulation are weak, antimicrobials for non-therapeutic purpose can be obtained without a medical prescription which would be required where control is strong.

Figure 4 Pathways for accessing antimicrobials for use in food animals