Reducing veterinary pharmaceuticals in the environment - understanding knowledge, practice, and governance through the lens of the One Health approach

Pharmaceuticals and their residues can reach the environment throughout different stages of their lifecycle. In parallel with the increasing number of studies on the potential negative effects and environmental burden of pharmaceuticals pollution there is increasing recognition among stakeholders that different measures are needed to reduce the environmental burden. Many countries have implemented different upstream and/or downstream measures, such as guidelines for responsible use of antimicrobials in humans and animals.

The overall aim of this transdisciplinary research project is to study how the environmental burden of pharmaceuticals, including antimicrobial resistance, originating from veterinary practice can be reduced by investigating knowledge, attitudes, practice, and governance through the

I. Which interventions have shown to be effective in reducing the environmental burden of pharmaceuticals from veterinary use?

As implementation of measures can be both time consuming and costly, in this research project we aim to analyse which interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing the environmental burden of pharmaceuticals from veterinary use through a systematic review.

II. How are veterinary students taught about ecopharmacology and One Health in the Baltic Sea countries?

This cross-sectional study aims to describe if veterinary medicine curricula are incorporating ecopharmacology and One Health in countries surrounding the Baltic Sea to teach students how they in their future professional roles can reduce the environmental burden of pharmaceuticals.

III. What role does treatment guidelines have for veterinary practitioners’ treatment practice for infectious diseases and antimicrobials?

This cross-sectional study aims to describe which treatment guidelines are used by veterinarians in Sweden, as well as veterinarians’ knowledge and attitudes regarding these guidelines and the need for possible new treatment guidelines as part of antimicrobial stewardship.

IV. What is the potential environmental burden of antimicrobials used in veterinary medicine?

This study aims to estimate the potential environmental burden of antimicrobials used in the veterinary sector in Sweden by assessing sales data and comparing this to classification of environmental hazard.