Veterinarians, animal owners and animal caretakers all share responsibility for minimizing the use of antimicrobial drugs to conserve drug efficacy.

Antimicrobial treatment regimes should be designed to maximize therapeutic efficacy while minimizing bacterial resistance.

Antimicrobials used in animals should only be used within the confines of a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR).

Veterinarians should continually update their knowledge of methods of disease prevention, new therapeutics, and of other issues such as drug resistance trends, to ensure the prudent use of antimicrobials.

All users of antimicrobials should be educated in the proper use of antimicrobials including administration, handling, storage, disposal, and record keeping. Veterinarians have a responsibility to educate staff, clients, and other animal handlers on the prudent use of antimicrobials and for ensuring such training occurs.

All antimicrobials, even those not purchased directly through or on prescription from a veterinarian, should be used within the confines of a valid VCPR.

Animal owners and caretakers should be instructed in and encouraged to implement management, immunization, housing, and nutritional programs that prevent or reduce the incidence of disease and therefore antimicrobial use.

Antimicrobials should only be used therapeutically if a pathogen is demonstrated or anticipated to be present, based on clinical signs, history, necropsy examinations, laboratory data (including resistance testing), and if the pathogen is expected to respond to treatment.

The need for prophylactic antimicrobials should be regularly assessed. Propylactic antimicrobials should only be used when an animal(s) is determined to be at risk and evidence indicates that such usage reduces morbidity and/or mortality. Surgical protocols should emphasize strict aseptic technique instead of prophylactic antibiotics.

Antimicrobials should only be used to promote growth and feed efficiency if such use does not compromise therapeutic use in animals and people.

Antimicrobial selection should be based on the known or suspected target organisms, their known or predicted antimicrobial drugs susceptibility, the site of infection, knowledge of the drug, including its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, and other factors such as host immunocompetence. Antimicrobials that specifically target the pathogen should be selected over broader-spectrum agents and local therapy should be selected over systemic therapy when appropriate.

Antimicrobials with unique mechanisms of action or novel resistance profiles in human medicine should not be used in veterinary medicine, particularly food animals, unless other antimicrobials by use or sensitivity testing have been shown to be ineffective and use of the antimicrobial is considered to be life-saving in the animal.

Antimicrobials approved for the treatment of the diagnosed condition should be used whenever possible. The dose, frequency, and duration stated on the label should be followed whenever possible.

Combinations of antimicrobials, compounding of active pharmaceutical ingredients, and extra-label usage of antimicrobials should be avoided unless safety and efficacy have been documented.

Antimicrobials should be used for the shortest time period required to reliably achieve a cure. This minimizes exposure of other bacterial populations to the antimicrobial.

Apppropriate withdrawal periods for antimicrobials used in animals intended for food should be adhered to.

Animals treated with antimicrobials may shed resistant bacteria into the environment. If possible, steps should be taken to minimize environmental contamination.

Antimicrobial products should be handled and stored properly. This includes proper disposal to avoid environmental contamination by the antimicrobial drug.

Veterinarians should alert any person handling antimicrobials of any potential risk to themselves and other species.