Work

Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary education: A scoping review

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: • One Health integration in veterinary AMS education remains limited • Need for education interventions to improve knowledge and aptitudes towards AMS • Multidisciplinary collaboration and leadership act as key facilitators • Scarce resources, and poor policy support act as barriers Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat, emphasizing the need for antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) across sectors, including veterinary medicine. Inappropriate use of antimicrobials in livestock practices has contributed to the spread of AMR. A key challenge was the inadequate AMS integration within veterinary education, highlights the importance of bridging the awareness gap and enhancing preparedness among future veterinarians. Objective: To identify the barriers and facilitators of implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship in veterinary education globally. Methodology: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines and Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, this review analyzed studies published between 2015 and 2025 from databases PubMed (NCBI), Cochrane Library, Scopus (Elsevier, Embase (Elsevier) ProQuest, Web of Science (Clarivate) and CINAHL (Ebsco) to systematically explore. Results: Twenty studies were included in this review, Barriers identified included inadequate AMS content integration within veterinary curricula, limited teaching hours dedicated to pharmacological training to the students. Other barriers including gaps between theoretical and clinical practice, lack of electronic record systems that would enable real time monitoring of antimicrobial use patterns in teaching hospitals, and weak policy enforcement in low- and middle-income countries. Facilitators included student and faculty engagement, educational interventions such as workshops, symposiums and online learnings. Institutional leadership and multidisciplinary collaboration were also found effective in AMS implementation. However, the integration of One Health and AMS programs remained limited and inconsistent in the veterinary education. Conclusion: The findings emphasized need for AMS education reforms, as many curricula did not include components of responsible antimicrobial usage. Future efforts must involve veterinary stakeholder collaboration to improve curricula, infrastructure, capacity, faculty development, and promote interdisciplinary and one health education models.

Source: Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance

DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2026.01.015

Authors: Rekhashree Raveendran, Navya Vyas, Yashna Bharath Salian, Edlin Glane Mathias, Nagappa Karabasanavar

Institutions: Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University

Language: English

Topic: Antibiotic Use and Resistance

Subfield: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Field: Immunology and Microbiology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,890