One of the first things I ask farm managers when I'm doing a farm walkthrough or establishing a Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) is, "Where do you store your medications & how do you use them?" Many farms that don't have an established veterinary relationship sort of fly by the seat of their pants when it comes to medication use. This can lead to inappropriate medication use, inappropriate administration technique, prolonged disease in inappropriately treated animals, & increased medication & production costs.
So how can we improve our medication use?
Work with your veterinarian to formulate treatment protocols specific to common diseases on your farm so you know which medication to use when. One size really does not fit all!
In addition to those written treatment protocols, ask your veterinarian for an Approved Medication List, which includes all medications that they've mentioned in your treatment protocols, indications, dosages, & withdrawal times. I've found that Approved Medication lists make producer lives easier because it's a quick way to check dosages & administration routes, withdrawal times & refers back to established treatment protocols. For me as a veterinarian, it makes my life easier when it comes time to renew prescriptions or go through the farm's medication inventory - if it's not on the list, it shouldn't be on the farm!
For those medications in your treatment protocols & on your approved medication list, read the label! The label contains important information! Some of it will be a repeat of your Approved Medications List - who to use it on, how much, how to give it, & withdrawal. But drug labels also include important handling information, human & animal safety warnings, & more details on when & how to use.
Do a medication inventory on a regular basis. I usually recommend a monthly inventory for small farms who don't use up a lot of medication.
Medication inventory doesn't need to be a long, drawn-out process! Using your Approved Medication list & spending a little time upfront to create your own inventory form will streamline the process & be easier to manage!
What should you include on your inventory sheet?
Medication name - if you buy the same brand, you can use the trade name (for example LA-200), but if you price shop & buy mostly generics, you should use the generic name (for example, oxytetracycline)
Size of bottle - most small farms should buy the smallest available size, especially if you are constantly disposing of expired medications
Approximately how much is left - is the bottle full, half full, or almost empty? This can help you plan for future purchases & gauge how fast you are using medications when tracked month to month
Serial or Lot # - important for drug recalls or medication reactions
Expiration date - expired medications should be disposed of properly
Making a simple form in Excel or Word (or if you're very tech savvy, maybe a Google Form) with your medication names typed in & columns for the other information will allow you to check that you've looked at all your medications & allows you to plan purchases, plan disposal, & gauge use. You can group medications by class (pain medications, antibiotics, etc), or simply organize medications alphabetically, whichever is easiest for you.
After you perform an inventory, actually look at it! Are you disposing of full medication bottles? Is anything expiring soon? Do you seem to be missing anything? Does your current inventory track with usage in your treatment logs? Analyze!
Go forth & evaluate your medication usage!
