Committee on Antimicrobials

The Committee on Antimicrobials, in order to promote, protect, and advance the veterinary profession, will advise the AVMA Board of Directors on the topic of antimicrobials. The committee reviews and supports the AVMA’s overarching strategy to allow the veterinary profession to effectively share robust and comprehensive recommendations for policy and its implementation with legislators, regulators, the marketplace, and other stakeholders. The committee has the authority to convene virtual working groups with clear objectives. Further, the committee serves as the lead AVMA entity in the Association’s collaboration with similarly focused stakeholders as well as human medical entities (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in a One Health approach to the overarching issue of antimicrobial resistance.

Charge/Objective

  1. Maintain oversight of AVMA antimicrobial policies including but not limited to use, resistance, use data collection, and stewardship.
  2. Serve as the primary resource to the AVMA on antimicrobial issues by utilizing committee members’ species-specific expertise and/or establishing working groups with outside subject matter experts, if needed.
  3. Promote AVMA as the leader and trusted source of information on antimicrobial use in animals and primary collaborator with human medical entities in a One Health approach to the issue of antimicrobial resistance.
  4. Promote antimicrobial stewardship that supports good animal health and welfare, and helps to mitigate antimicrobial resistance through the development, integration, and implementation of clear, data-driven and scientifically defensible policies and recommendations.
  5. Provide AVMA members with information and tools to implement and promote antimicrobial stewardship.

Membership

The Committee will consist of the following 9 voting seats, each filled by a primary member and an alternate member, both of whom are AVMA member veterinarians with backgrounds in pharmacology, microbiology, epidemiology, public health or a documented history of productive and collaborative contributions in the area of antimicrobials and/or antimicrobial resistance.

  1. American Animal Hospital Association
  2. American Association of Avian Pathologists
  3. American Association of Bovine Practitioners
  4. American Association of Equine Practitioners
  5. American Association of Fish Veterinarians
  6. American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians
  7. American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners
  8. American Association of Swine Veterinarians
  9. At-large member with a demonstrated background and expertise in public health

Primary and alternate members filling dedicated seats will be nominated by the organizations they represent.  Primary and alternate members filling the at-large position will be solicited from the AVMA membership.  The AVMA Board of Directors will consider nominees and appoint members to the committee, but may reject nominees.  If the Board rejects nominees of an organization, additional nominations will be requested from the impacted organizations.  If the Board rejects nominees for the at-large position, additional nominees will be solicited from the AVMA membership

Alternate members will be included in all electronic communications and in the absence of their respective primary member are expected to participate in entity meetings. Alternate members will not vote unless their respective primary member is unable for whatever reason.

Chair

The committee elects a chair and vice-chair annually from among its members.

Terms

A term is three years, and each member of the committee may serve up to two consecutive three- year terms, or longer at the Boards discretion pending appointment of a qualified successor.  Fulfilling an unexpired term of less than half of the term remaining shall not be considered a full term and shall not apply toward the term limit. Committee members shall not be eligible to serve again on the committee for a period of three years following the conclusion of the second term as a member of the committee. One-third of the committee will have an initial one-year term, one-third will have an initial two-year term, and one-third will have an initial three-year term.

Advisors

Representatives from the following organizations are invited to attend committee meetings as observers at the organization’s expense and provide the organization’s perspective on veterinary antimicrobial issues:

  1. Food and Drug Administration-Center for Veterinary Medicine
  2. USDA - APHIS - Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  4. Animal Health Institute

Board of Directors Liaison

One member of the Board of Directors shall serve as the Board’s liaison to the Committee.

Meetings

The committee is authorized to hold one in-person meeting per year at AVMA headquarters and may meet virtually as needed to fulfill its charge.

Reports

The Committee presents its recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval.

Funding

Travel expenses are authorized in accordance with the AVMA Travel Policy.

Life expectancy

The Committee will be reviewed in compliance with AVMA governance policies.