NBA Winter Magazine_2023_

Industry News
continue to play its role in tackling AMR
(antimicrobial resistance) and protecting the
efficacy of these important medicines long
into the future.”
What to do next?
You or your vet can register your enterprise
on Medicine Hub or get in touch with
Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers or the
Scotland Health Animals pilot programme
and start the process of uploading details of
antibiotics used in your beef animals.
The data always belong to the farmer,
nothing is shared without specific
permission being granted. “For the beef
sector, it is likely that the most common
route to get data on the hub will be via a
farmer’s vet and, for farmers in Wales and
Scotland, this will also be the case the
majority of the time,” concludes Mandy
Nevel. “It is important to remember that
no one else can see an individual farmer’s
data unless permission is granted; where
permission is granted, it would usually be to
the vet to enable them to upload data and
access the account.”
There is more information at www.
medicinehub.org.uk email: medicinehub@
ahdb.org.uk or call 02477 719 414.
What is AMR and why is it important?
Animals, like humans, can get ill, even with the best health and welfare standards
in place. When disease occurs, antibiotics may be needed to deal with the infection
and prevent it spreading to other animals.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria exist, which have implications for managing human
health. The more antibiotics that are used, the more resistance we are likely
to see. While use in humans is the biggest driver for resistance in humans,
responsible use in animals is the right thing to do.. This is part of the reason
behind changes that have been made to which antibiotics can be used in foodproducing
animals and for increasing record-keeping and information around what
has been used and when.
Monitoring and measuring what antibiotics are used in food-producing animals is
really important to give evidence of farmers’ responsible approach to antibiotic use.
With EU neighbours and other global competitors either already collating these
national data, or looking to do so soon, the UK mustn’t allow itself to fall behind.
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T: 01835 822456 / E: healthschemes@sruc.ac.uk / www.cattlehealth.co.uk
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WINTER 2023 | The National Beef Association Magazine 25