Antimicrobial drugs are used to treat bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. Accordingly, these types of drugs fall into one of 3 categories - antibiotics, antifungals, or antiviral medications. The emergence of drug-resistant infections (antimicrobial resistance) is a global health concern and one that affects both humans and animals. Drug-resistant infections can develop for many reasons and excessive or inappropriate use of antimicrobial drugs can compound the problem. 

Examples of excessive or inappropriate use include:

• Administering antibiotics when the illness is not due to a bacterial infection (e.g. the patient has a "cold" or viral infection)
• Not administering the proper dose of drug (e.g. splitting pills to save money or to make the medication last longer)
• Not completing a full course of treatment (e.g. stopping the medication after a few days because the problem appears to be resolved)
• Giving medication left over from a previous illness to treat a presumed flare-up or a new problem

The consequences of drug-resistant infections and antimicrobial resistance include prolonged illness, increased mortality rates, increased costs related to treatment, and the transmission of drug-resistant pathogens between humans and other animals. 

To combat the problem, antimicobial stewardship programs and prescribing guidelines have been established in both human and veterinary medicine. These guidelines encourage prescribers to select the optimal drug for the problem at hand including the recommended dosage, duration of therapy, and route of administration. Equally important is patient and / or pet owner compliance in adhering to the prescribing doctor’s instruction. In the case of veterinary medicine pet owners are at the forefront of good antimicrobial stewardship as most antimicrobials are sent home to be administered on an outpatient basis.

Dr. Laurel Redding from the University of Pennsylvania recently discussed the issue of antimicrobial resistance and highlighted some key takeaways for pet owners: