RUMA advisory group meets for the first time
The group will a provide a One Health perspective on the responsible use of medicines in farm animals.
An independent scientific group set up to advise RUMA, the agriculture and food industry alliance, has met for the first time.
The group consists of six experts from human and veterinary medicine, including Mr Daniel Parker, avian expert for UK government, Professor David Barrett, Professor of bovine medicine, and Dr Ian Brown, consultant clinical research fellow at Oxford University.
The other experts are Mr David Burch, a vet and consultant specialising in pig medicine, Mr Martin Smith, veterinary senior manager with AHDB, and Professor Mark Fielder, Professor of microbiology at Kingston University.
Together the group will advise RUMA on technical developments, help maintain a scientific basis in all of RUMA’s work, and provide independent voices with a One Health perspective on the responsible use of medicines in farm animals.
Welcoming the group, RUMA vice chair Catherine McLaughlin said that she hopes the move will bring factual evidence and science to a debate around animal medicines - and antibiotic resistance in particular.
“The members of the Group are all eminent specialists in their own right in fields related to responsible use of medicines in both human and animal medicine,” she says.
“Between them, they cover a wide range of specialisms and their reason for getting involved is a common desire to encourage balanced debate and prompt the right actions – while ensuring animal welfare is protected.
“We look forward to some really healthy challenges from the group on RUMA’s strategy and scientific position going forward. It’s also very positive that the Group has agreed to act as spokespeople on these issues, putting forward their own findings and views and well as any consensus they develop.”
The group, observed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, will convene once every three months and hold conference calls in between.
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
