WHAT'S NEW!
4 April 2013
RUMA statement on the preventive use of antibiotics in farm animals
RUMA has published a position statement on
the preventive use of antibiotics in farm animals.
Click here for the press release.....
Click
here for the statement....
11 March 2013
RUMA welcomes the CMO's warning about the threat of antimicrobial resistance
RUMA is in full
agreement with Professor Dame Sally Davies’ warning about the threat of
antimicrobial resistance which is a serious problem that threatens the
efficacy of antibiotics used in both human and animal medicine.
Click here for more.....
6 February 2013
RUMA welcomes new members
RUMA is pleased to announce that NFU Scotland and the Game Farmers’
Association have joined the Alliance.
Click here for more.....
18 November 2012
Antibiotics Awareness Day
18 November 2012 is the EU’s Antibiotic Awareness Day and
RUMA is urging farmers and vets to use this day to review whether they are
using antibiotics responsibly.
RUMA Secretary General, John FitzGerald, said
antibiotics are key medicines in both human and animal health. They should
not be used as a substitute for good farm management which helps prevent
disease but when they are used they help to maintain animal health and
welfare and provide safe food for the consumer.
Click here for more........
2 November 2012
RUMA has commented on an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons on the Use
of Antibiotics in Intensive Farming.
John FitzGerald, RUMA Secretary General, said “RUMA is
disappointed by this EDM which repeats and relies on some of the myths on
the use of antibiotics in agriculture and the impact this has on antibiotic
resistance in humans.”
Click here for more - to read RUMA's full
comment.....
20 September 2012
Antimicrobial use in veterinary medicine - paper for the European Commission
A consideration by the UK's Responsible Use in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA)
RUMA welcomes the Commission’s aims for the current
review of the Veterinary Medicines Directive 2001/82 and Medicated
Feedingstuffs Directive 90/167/EEC and especially to deliver a regulatory
system that can address appropriately the antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
challenge. RUMA also welcomes the Commission’s willingness to receive advice
and comments from those working in the field as evidenced by the far
reaching consultation and the experts’ meeting on antimicrobial resistance
held in Brussels on 8 June 2012. At that meeting RUMA understands that the
Commission invited further comment and is pleased to provide this paper.
Click here to see the paper....
6 September 2012 - RUMA comments on the story about
the use of antibiotics in food producing animals, and alleged link to the
obesity epidemic in western Europe and other parts of the world
RUMA sets out reasons for its conclusion that the
suggestion, reported in UK press, that long term exposure to residues
of antibiotics resulting from administration of these compounds to animals
is leading to obesity in humans is not based on the results of the studies
in mice, is not substantiated by any other data, ignores the quality and
safety mechanisms built into our food chain and could cause unnecessary
consumer concerns.
Click here for full comment.......
5 September 2012 -
RUMA in the press (Irish Examiner) as John FitzGerald speaks at APHA
conference in Ireland
1 June 2012 - New EPRUMA poster on the responsible use of medicines.
The European platform for the responsible use of medicines in animals has
produced a poster: "Responsible use of medicines in animals: what does
it mean?” Find out more
here
3 March 2012 - Press release from RUMA - Response to Soil Association
Report “E. Coli Superbugs on farms and food”
RUMA (the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture
Alliance) is disappointed and saddened by the tone of the latest report and
press release from the Soil Association on Antimicrobial Resistance. The
Alliance believes that these documents do not support the views expressed in
the foreword by Helen Browning, the Soil Association’s Chief Executive, that
she wants a collaborative approach to tackle the issue of antimicrobial
resistance.
“RUMA welcomes constructive dialogue and suggestions to
promote the responsible use of all medicines across the whole farming
spectrum,” said RUMA Secretary General John FitzGerald.
Click here for more......
9 December 2011 - RUMA's response to the Save Our Antibiotics
Alliance's open letter of 7 December 2011
RUMA has sent the following response to the Save Our Antibiotics
Alliance’s open letter: click here for
more......
29 November 2011- European Commission Action Plan
against the rising threats from antimicrobial resistance
RUMA (the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture
Alliance) welcomes and strongly supports the
European Commission Action Plan against the rising threat of Antimicrobial
Resistance (AMR).
The European Commission has recommended a holistic
approach to the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance development in its
Communication to the European Parliament and the Council, published on 17
November 2011
Click here for more.....
22 November 2011 - RUMA Business/Marketing Plan
2011/12
RUMA is an alliance of animal health industry groups (see
annex A for current membership and RUMA officers) with the aim of
promoting a co-ordinated and integrated approach to best practice in the use
of medicines.
RUMA operates by providing best practice advice on the
use of medicine to farmers and veterinary surgeons by publishing guidelines
aimed at each of these groups and providing advice/comment on specific
issues on its website
It is important for RUMA to maintain a high profile
amongst farmers and vets so that they can avail themselves of the advice on
best practice use of medicines.
Click here for
more........
18 November 2011 - International conference on Responsible use of
antibiotics in animals, 14-16 November, the Netherlands
RUMA chairman Peter Allen spoke on 'The future of
antibiotics in animals - evolution or revolution'.
Links to
 
left: the audience at the conference; right RUMA chairman Peter Allen
visits the EPRUMA stand
18 November 2011 - RUMA comment on the report: Case Study of a Health
crisis
RUMA believes the report Case Study of a Health Crisis by
a coalition comprising Compassion in World Farming, the Soil Association and
Sustain misses a great opportunity to help highlight the importance of both
medical and veterinary practitioners working together to help preserve the
efficacy of antimicrobials for both human and animal health.
RUMA acknowledges the increased risk of antimicrobial
resistance developing from the irresponsible use of antibiotics in human and
animal medicine and believes that antibiotics should be used as little as
often and as much as necessary. It already produces guidelines for farmers
and vets on the responsible use of antibiotics on farms.
The RUMA guidelines
stress that antibiotics should not be used as a substitute for good
husbandry practices whatever the farming system.
Click here for more......
6 June 2011 - RUMA statement on new strain of MRSA
Scientists from the University of Cambridge Veterinary
School have published a paper showing that a new strain of meticillin-resistant
Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA) has been discovered in milk from dairy cows and
in people.
For RUMA statement click here
3 June 2011 -
SCOPS revised leaflet on Blowfly Control
SCOPS has warned that weather conditions in 2011 have led
to an early and high challenge from Blowflies.
To help sheep farmers plan and get the most from the
products they choose, SCOPS have updated their
leaflet on Blowfly
control. This contains details of all the products available, the length
of protection that can be expected if they are applied properly and
withdrawal periods.
See
www.nationalsheep.org for more SCOPS information.
18 May 2011 - MEPs have called for the responsible and prudent
use of antimicrobial medicines in food animals, in a resolution adopted by
the European Parliament.
They also called for more information to be given to vets
and farmers to minimise the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in
animals - a statement supported by RUMA.
The NFU Brussels office commented that veterinary
medicines should be used ‘as little as possible, but as much as necessary’
and added that the UK was already leading the way in Europe through its
Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) initiative to
help educate farmers.
RUMA, at a UK level and
EPRUMA, across the EU,
promote the responsible use of all animal medicines, including
antimicrobials.
See here for
RUMA's practical guidelines on the use of antimicrobials in pigs, poultry,
cattle, sheep and fish. Guidelines are also
available on the responsible use of vaccines.
About RUMA
The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance
(RUMA) was established in November 1997 to promote the highest standards of
food safety, animal health and animal welfare in British livestock farming.
RUMA is a unique initiative involving
organisations
representing every stage of the food chain, facilitating transparency and
traceability in the process.
A unique initiative involving organisations representing
every stage of the "farm to fork" process, RUMA aims to promote a
co-ordinated and integrated approach to best practice in the use of
medicines
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