Since mid 2001, the use of medicines for livestock in Denmark is recorded in the VETSTAT database (Veterinary Medicine Statistics). The programme registers the use of all therapeutic medicine, sera and vaccines at individual herd level. All pharmacies, veterinarians and feed mills must submit information to VETSTAT as regards:

• animal type and age group treated
• identity of the herd
• diagnosis (or reason for prescription)
• name and amount of medicine prescribed
• name of the veterinarian prescribing the medicine

The information is used by the Danish Zoonosis Centre (operating under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries) to analyse in detail how medicine is used. The data allows a record of medicine usage by animal species, age and diagnosis. It is hoped that this data will soon allow the authorities to examine the relationship between the use of medicines and the occurrence of resistant bacteria in a far more comprehensive manner.

It will also become possible for farmers and veterinarians to benchmark their own medicine use against other norms measured in the VETSTAT database.

To view the information, go to vetstat.dfvf.dk (Danish only)