The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has launched a new IT platform to support the collection of data by all countries in the EU, including Ireland, on the sales and use of antimicrobial products in animals.

From January 2024 all EU member states must submit data annually on the sales and use of antimicrobials in animals to the new Antimicrobial Sales and Use Platform developed by the EMA.

According to the agency this data will help strengthen EU “action against antimicrobial resistance in humans and animals under the One Health approach”.

The EMA has stated that the collection of data on the sales and use of antimicrobials in animals has always been “critical in the fight against antimicrobial resistance”.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, believes that the European regulation is “now a cornerstone to support the achievement of the objectives set in the European One Health action plan and in the farm to fork strategy against antimicrobial resistance (AMR)”.

“AMR is a global health threat, posing significant challenges to human and animal health, and to the Irish farming sector.

“The farming sectors have a responsibility to work collaboratively with their vet and other farm advisory professionals to ensure the best possible health outcomes for their animals, and to use antibiotics only when absolutely necessary,” Minister McConalogue previously told the Dáil.

Antimicrobial products

According to the EMA all EU member states must now submit data on sales of veterinary antimicrobials and use of antimicrobials in animals in a standardised format which it said will enhance “the collection of data and their integration in a robust system”.

It said that its new platform – chiefly an IT system and web interface – will not only help countries to streamline the submission of their data but will also strengthen the “analysis and identification of trends in antimicrobial consumption across the EU/European Economic Area (EEA)”.

“Access to reliable data provides invaluable insights for participating countries on the impact of their measures to promote the prudent use of antimicrobials in animals, and could help to identify potential actions at national and international level to support an overall decrease of AMR,” the EMA added.