One of the greatest challenges in beekeeping is managing honey bee pests and disease. We have a range of medications available to help in this battle. Since 2017 certain drugs, especially antibiotics, may need to be accessed through a veterinarian via a prescription. Working with vets is something new to many beekeepers. This blog contains some information which will be helpful in accessing prescription medications and working with vets.
Antimicrobial Stewardship and Beekeeping
Everyone is aware that certain bacterial infections are becoming
resistant to antimicrobial drug treatments.
Due to this phenomenon, there has been a global effort to ensure that medications,
significant to human health, are extended in their effectiveness for as long as
possible. This new and more cautious approach
to using antimicrobials and antibiotics resulted in a framework document, published
in 2017 by the Public Health Agency of Canada*.
This document outlined recommended changes to practices and to the law.
It was determined that preserving the usefulness of antimicrobials
for human treatment required a One Health approach to ensuring the correct and
ongoing application of important drugs. Because
of the common benefit for humans and animals, especially antibiotics used in
agriculture, certain compounds required controlled use. This control, to preserve their efficacy,
falls to medical professionals, typically either doctors or veterinarians.
There are currently two antibiotics which are important to
beekeepers. One, Fumagilin-B, is for the
treatment of Vairimorpha spp (formerly Nosema spp.). This drug does not fall into the category of
being important to human health and therefore does not currently require a
prescription for use. The second
antimicrobial used by beekeepers is Oxytetracycline hydrochloride. In human health this is used to treat a broad
range of bacterial infections and in beekeeping this is used to manage American
and European Foulbrood disease. Access
to Oxytetracycline hydrochloride (commonly called Oxytet by beekeepers) is
controlled by law and must be accessed through a subscription provided by a
veterinarian. This veterinary oversight
is outlined by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association but regulated
provincially. So each provincial association will put forward guidelines on how
this oversight will be implemented.
For beekeepers to access Oxytet, they will need to establish
what is referred to as a “Veterinary Client Patient Relationship (VCPR).” Each Canadian province and territory define
what a VCPR is and therefor definitions will slightly differ across the country
but these are all a variation of the a CVMA statement which reads:
A VCPR exists when all of the following conditions have
been met:
1. The veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for
making clinical assessments and recommendations regarding the health of the
animal(s) and the need for medical treatment,
2. The veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of the
animal(s) on which to base the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of the
medical condition of the animal(s). This means that the veterinarian has
recently seen and is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the
animal(s) by virtue of an examination of the animal(s) or by medically
appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animal(s) are kept.
3. The client has agreed to follow the veterinarian’s
recommendations and prescription.
4. The veterinarian is available or has arranged for
follow-up evaluation, especially in the event of adverse reactions or failure
of the treatment regimen (CVMA, N.D).**
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| Healthy Honey Bees in a Hive. |
So beekeepers have a part to play in ensuring we do not
return to a pre-antibiotic era with out effective drugs to treat bacterial
infections. It is important to find a
vet to work with prior to emergency needs, so speak to other local beekeepers,
check with your provincial association or provincial departments of agriculture
to find local vets. Once you find a vet,
have a detailed discussion of your needs and how you manage diseases and maintain
records. This is a new experience for
both beekeepers and vets so a dialogue will establish this partnership and keep
the bees healthy.
*Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use: A
Pan-Canadian Framework for Action https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/drugs-health-products/tackling-antimicrobial-resistance-use-pan-canadian-framework-action.html
**Canadian Veterinary Medicine Association (N.D.) VETERINARY OVERSIGHT OF ANTIMICROBIAL USE –A
PAN-CANADIAN FRAMEWORK OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR VETERINARIANS
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