Tackling AMR through safe disposal - the 2024 RUMA Antibiotic Amnesty
The RUMA antibiotic amnesty is back for another year.Throughout November 2024, RUMA Companion Animal and Equine are encouraging pet and equine owners to return any un-used, out of date or leftover antibiotic medications to their veterinary practice for correct and safe disposal. This is part of a national antibiotic amnesty being held by vets, doctors and pharmacists.
Vet Sustain
In order to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance, leftover and un-used antibiotics should be disposed of safely to prevent hoarding, inappropriate reuse or disposing of them via domestic waste streams.
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest global health threats of our time, and we must act, together, to safeguard the use of these medicines and reduce the development of antimicrobial resistance. If not disposed of correctly, antibiotics can lead to environmental contamination, impacting water quality and wildlife, promoting the development of antimicrobial resistance and putting human, animal and environmental health at risk.
Many of our clients do not realise that leftover antibiotics can be returned to their veterinary practices for safe disposal. The RUMA amnesty campaign aims to tackle that, by supporting practices to take part and raise awareness of simple actions that can help to tackle antimicrobial resistance. It is focused around practice team and client education, promoting conversations within the practice team and clients about antimicrobial resistance and the potential risks of not using antibiotics responsibly. There are many free and downloadable resources available to support practices on the RUMA website, including a step-by-step guide on how practices can prepare, educational posters, client information sheets, newsletter articles, social media graphics and promotional stickers that can added to any prescribed medications.
Its simple to take part, all you need to do is put a designated pharmaceutical bin in a secure location at the practice labelled with ‘Antibiotic Amnesty’. When clients return their un-used antibiotics, these can be put into the designated bin. RUMA are also encouraging recording of conversations, either proactively or reactively about the Antibiotic Amnesty campaign. This could be done as simply as putting a penny in a jar for every conversation held. At the end of the campaign the number of drugs returned and conversations had can be added up to help measure the impact of the campaign.
Although the 2024 RUMA campaign is focused on companion animal and equine, farm clients should also be encouraged to take part in this amnesty.
#AntibioticAmnesty