Abstract
In the UK, the role of farm animal veterinary surgeons (VS) is central to ensuring the responsible and sustainable use of antimicrobials in food producing animals under their care. There is particular concern over the use of certain classes of antimicrobials, deemed protected antimicrobials (namely third and fourth generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and macrolides) in farm animal practice because of their critical importance in human medicine. Between 2010 and 2014, Langford Farm Animal Practice (LFAP), a clinical teaching practice of the University of Bristol achieved a practice-wide reduction of 87% in the use of such antimicrobials. No fluoroquinolones have been used by LFAP since 2009. A collaborative approach, working alongside farmers to improve herd health management (HHM) and informed by systematic farm-level medicines auditing coupled with farmer training and intentional changes in prescribing policy, has proved highly successful in achieving this change.