Antibiotic Sales, before and after Implementation of a Veterinarian Prescription System in Food-producing Animals

Abstract

A veterinarian prescription system (VPS) was implemented in 2013 to reduce the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals in South Korea. To understand effects of VPS on sales of antibiotics for food-producing animals, this study compared average sales of antibiotics for seven years before (2006-2012) and after (2014-2020) implementing VPS using population correction unit (PCU). As a result, average sales (242 mg/PCU) after implementing VPS decreased by 36% compared to those (380 mg/PCU) before implementing it. In addition, average sales of HP-CIAs after implementing VPS decreased by 14% from 51.4 mg/PCU to 44.2 mg/PCU compared to those before implementing it. Although average sales of total antibiotics and HP-CIAs for food-producing animals decreased after implementing VPS compared to those before implementing it, they were still higher than those in Europe. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen VPS continuously to reduce the use of antibiotics for food-producing animals in the future.