8 actionable steps to reduce antibiotic use in your veterinary clinic
With over 2.8 million serious antimicrobial-resistant infections affecting people in the United States each year, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is no longer a distant threat—it’s happening now. For those of us in veterinary medicine, the need to reduce antibiotic use, and prescribe responsibly, has never been greater.
While clinical guidelines for appropriate prescribing are available through trusted organizations like the AAHA, University of Minnesota, and WSAVA, implementing those recommendations across an entire practice team takes strategy, communication, and consistency. This article walks you through eight practical steps to get your whole clinic on the same page.
What responsible antibiotic use means
Responsible antibiotic use in veterinary clinics isn’t about banning antibiotics. It’s about making smarter decisions every day. Key principles include:
- • Only prescribing antibiotics when clearly indicated
- • Considering alternative treatments
- • Using culture and sensitivity testing to inform choices
- • Opting for narrow-spectrum drugs where possible
- • Dosing correctly by avoiding both underdosing and unnecessary long durations
These practices are especially important when dealing with drugs classified as critically important for human health.
8 strategies for reducing your clinic’s veterinary antibiotic use
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Engage your entire team in the mission
Before making changes, get buy-in from everyone – veterinarians, technicians, and client service reps. Share why antibiotic resistance matters and how each role contributes, plus set some achievable goals. A study published in 2022 showed that team-based interventions significantly reduced use of critically important antibiotics like cefovecin in cats.
Start conversations informally or during team meetings. You don’t need to wait until you have audit data – just start with an open conversation and work towards setting whole-team goals.
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Standardize policies for relief vets and visiting specialists
Temporary or rotating team members can unintentionally derail your efforts if they aren’t aligned with your clinic’s antibiotic policies. Keep guidelines readily available – include them in onboarding packets, display visual aids (like AMR posters), and make sure someone is assigned to orient every new team member.
This helps maintain consistency and avoids confusion with long-term clients.
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Provide educational materials to clients
Veterinarians often feel pressure to prescribe because clients expect a “take-home solution.” Combat this by being proactive. Clear, accessible materials help clients understand when antibiotics aren’t the answer.
Posters, newsletters, and waiting room videos are great tools. Consider developing a “No Antibiotics Needed Today” handout or hosting a short client info session. When pet owners feel included in the decision-making process, they’re more likely to trust the recommendation and remain loyal to your clinic. Here are some of the best pet owner resources about antibiotic resistance we found online:
- • OSU Handouts for Antibiotic Prescriptions and No Antibiotic Prescribed
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Use practice management software to support better prescribing
Your Practice Management Software (PMS) can be a powerful ally. Configure it to prompt for clinical justification before certain prescriptions or add reminders for Category B antibiotics. “Are you sure?” pop-ups or delayed prescribing tools (preparing a prescription and asking clients to call back to receive it if symptoms worsen) help curb unnecessary use.
If you’re unsure how to implement these, reach out to your software provider’s support team – they can walk you through it.
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Make culture and sensitivity testing more accessible
Testing should be standard – not an exception. But for many clinics, barriers like cost and turnaround time stand in the way.
Look at your pricing structure first – could adjusting your markup make tests more client-friendly? Consider investing in in-house testing solutions like patient-side tests or even agar plates and antibiotic discs. These systems can reduce both costs and wait times, making responsible prescribing easier in real time.
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Conduct audits of your clinic’s antibiotic usage
Before you can improve, you need to understand where you stand. Audits can also help get teams on board, because they can show progress as well as give a target. Choose one common condition – like UTIs, dental infections, or otitis externa – and use your PMS to pull reports of the treatments prescribed. Then, set goals as a team. Maybe you want to reduce antibiotics prescribed to dogs with dental disease, switching to surgery instead. Or maybe you want to try not to use cefovecin for cat bite abscesses. Don’t forget to set a time to come back and check how the practice is performing against the target!
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Encourage CE and certification
Increased knowledge can improve clinical reasoning and reduce unnecessary prescriptions. Consider encouraging a team member to pursue a veterinary medicine continuing education program like a certificate in veterinary internal medicine. Not only does a certificate like this foster leadership, it provides a deeper understanding of disease management and strengthens your practice’s clinical confidence. Even better, it helps less-experienced vets redirect pressure from clients by referring internally for second opinions.
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Recognize and reward positive change
Whether it’s a team member who embraced culture testing or someone who cut their antibiotic usage dramatically, celebrate wins. A public shout-out, a coffee gift card, or a spot on the clinic’s bulletin board goes a long way in reinforcing behavior.
Recognition helps sustain momentum and encourages others to follow suit—making responsible antibiotic use in veterinary clinics a shared priority.
Summary
As veterinary professionals, we understand the dangers of antimicrobial resistance, but changing day-to-day behavior takes planning. By combining education, client communication, clinical tools, and team engagement, your practice can take meaningful steps toward responsible antibiotic use in veterinary clinics.
Don’t forget: veterinary continuing education, especially RACE-approved certificates for veterinarians, play a major role in empowering confident, evidence-based prescribing. Together, we can protect both animal and public health for years to come.
