On Dec. 1, 2018, as part of the Federal Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance and Use in Canada, Health Canada implemented changes to the Prescription Drug List that affect access to, and oversight of, antimicrobials used in animals.
Veterinarians have an important role to play - owners of farmed animals, backyard flocks and fish now require a prescription from their veterinarian to access antimicrobials for their animals. The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) is leading a project, in collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), to raise veterinary and producer awareness of these new federal changes.
Farmed Animal Antimicrobial Stewardship (FAAST) is an educational website developed by OVMA in collaboration with OMAFRA that veterinarians can access to obtain resources such as toolkits, information sheets, species specific information, case studies, whiteboard videos, podcasts and more. Resources will be added as they are developed.
To learn more about the regulatory and policy changes, and to explore the educational resources about antimicrobial stewardship and resistance in livestock, visit the FAAST website at www.amstewardship.ca.