APRUMA: Antimicrobials and Effective Administration of Medicines [1]
Successful treatment is determined by proper administration of the antimicrobial coupled with the correct quantity used for the necessary time period.
The dosage recommendation of an antimicrobial medicine has been tested extensively by the company applying for an authorization. The purpose is to ensure that the dose given is sufficient to ensure that the appropriate quantity of the antimicrobial reaches the site of infection for a sufficient amount of time to ensure that the animal recovers from the disease.
Repeated administration may be necessary in order to reach clinical success. In the human medicine context, this is achieved by, for example, taking a tablet three times a day over seven days. For animals, the same principle applies
As with human medicines, the label contains the necessary information for appropriate and safe use and storage.
Maximum residue limit
For food-producing animals, studies are required to see how quickly residues of the medicine are eliminated from the animal. Maximum residue limits (MRLs) are established to set a maximum level of the antimicrobial that may remain in the animal without posing a risk to consumers of produce taken from it.
Withdrawal periods (the time between administration of the medicine and slaughter or the taking of food produce, e.g. milk or eggs) are then set to ensure that any remaining residues are below the MRL. Safety margins are built into the system to ensure that consumers are protected.