Analyses of Antimicrobial Use and Prescription Patterns in a Companion Animal Practice in Accra, Ghana, from 2015 to 2021

Introduction: The overuse, misuse, or abuse of antimicrobials in pets has the potential to result in antimicrobial resistance in pathogens of animal origin. There is a need for prudent use of antimicrobials to prevent this issue. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the trend of antimicrobial use in small animals at a veterinary practice in Accra, Ghana, over the period of 2015 to 2021. Materials and methods: Clinical records of 4324 animal patients presented to a veterinary hospital in Ghana that were given antimicrobials from September 2015 to December 2021 were analyzed for frequencies, proportions, and statistical differences. The gender of animals involved in this study were 53.1% males, 43.4% females, and 3.4% did not have the sex stated. The perceptions of antimicrobials by veterinarians and prescription patterns (to understand the basis for the prescription patterns) were considered in this study. Results: Antimicrobial use increased significantly from 56% in the first period (September 2015 to December 2017) to 75% in 2020, dropping to 59% in 2021. The prescription diversity was calculated to be 0.82. The most common indicator for antimicrobial use was a complex of symptoms and signs of anorexia-vomiting-diarrhea (27%). The number of antimicrobials prescribed per visit ranged from 1 to 5. The penicillin type (34%), tetracyclines (26.4%), sulphonamides (18.9%), and nitroimidazoles (10.6%) were the most used antimicrobial group. The routes and dosages administered were recorded in 70.3% and 92% of cases, respectively. The intramuscular route (54.5%) was the most preferred administration method by the clinicians. Notably, 95% of the veterinarians were neither aware of nor used any prescription guidance protocol in the small animal veterinary facility. Conclusion: Antimicrobials were used in high proportions in pets (mainly dogs) from 2015 to 2021. Penicillin, tetracyclines, and sulphonamides were more commonly used. Detailed information on antimicrobial prescriptions and use in a small animal veterinary practice setting in Ghana could provide valuable data for providing guidelines in antibacterial usage.