Merck Animal Health recently introduced the Antibiotic and Drug Residue Prevention and Avoidance Awareness Program to increase residue awareness and provide solutions to help the dairy and calf ranch industries combat and prevent antibiotic and drug residues. The program toolkit was recently upgraded to include a content list with interactive links to online, bilingual training modules at www.resflorgold.com, www.nuflor.com, www.nuflorgold.com and www.banamine.com, industry friendly tool kit cover and drug inventory move-in and move-out sheets. These additional service options and accessories have been added to further improve efficiencies for dairy producers.
As a new feature, drug inventory move-in and move-out sheets – developed in Spanish and English languages and available in 25 sheet pads – will help dairy and calf ranch personnel keep track of the drugs coming into their operation and being used in their operation. These can be kept on a counter, in the on-farm drug room and other convenient areas for easy access and use by employees and others. A notes section on each sheet allows for documentation of additional information. Monitoring and maintaining a history of inventoried and used products are key components to preventing and avoiding drug residues.
“We are dedicated to promoting responsible practices to monitor drugs in and out of inventory and place confidence in the checks-and-balances system,” U.S. Dairy Marketing Manager Rick Cozzitorto said. “By using these various tools in dairies, calf ranches and associated businesses, employers and their employees are implementing solutions and taking responsibility in knowing where drugs are, who is using them and who should be using them.”
The toolkit also contains educational pieces, shelf stickers in Spanish and English for medicine storage rooms, shelving, cabinets and refrigerators that helps to easily identify animal-health products by class of animals, red halters to aid in handling animals for proper administration of injectable animal-health products, and product posters in Spanish and English with easy-to-notice visuals stating withdrawal times. Magnets, branded with the corresponding product name, are provided to hold up the product posters.
The online training portion of the program educates employees on how to prevent product residues as well as other dairy and calf ranch management best practices. Employees receive online training with treatment focuses, and once they’ve passed, are given the option to print out their notice of certification.
“The benefit to the employer is piece of mind,” Cozzitorto said. “Bilingual training on best practices helps to maintain skill level and shows employees the dedication their employer has to responsible dairy management practices while allowing the employer to place confidence in their staff. It’s an added benefit to have these certificates on file if a residue problem should ever occur.”
To effectively communicate the proper use of animal-health products, Merck Animal Health developed the toolkit and training program to supplement the day-to-day protocols and procedures of animal-health product use and residue avoidance. Translation services also are available by request. These new additions to the toolkit will enhance the available resources and solutions to address, avoid and prevent drug residues.
“Dairies in my territory have been looking for a back-to-basics way to reinforce the importance of residue prevention,” said Merck Animal Health Dairy Sales Representative Jackie Florent. “They are enthusiastic to have this option available. In fact, Si-Ellen Dairy in Jerome, Idaho, is scheduling mandatory meetings with their employees to review the toolkit and online training modules. They are excited to offer this educational incentive to their employees.” PD
—From Merck Animal Health news release
