Implementing a quality assurance program using a risk assessment tool on dairy operations.

Abstract

Concerns and perceptions about antibiotic residues in milk prompted the dairy industry to develop a voluntary program to support rational antibiotic use on dairy farms. One deficiency of this program is the inability of producers to identify easily the weaknesses in antibiotic management in order to develop control plans. To overcome this deficiency, an educational approach was designed. The program centered on an on-farm risk assessment tool used by the producer and an industry educator to determine the current risk for residue violation. The risk assessment tool was tested by 25 field personnel working with northeastern milk receivers and 250 producers in seven states. The participants in the study identified a lack of adequate treatment records as being the highest risk factor for antibiotic residues, followed by deficiencies in understanding how to use antibiotics and poor relationships between veterinarians and their clients. When field representatives utilized the risk assessment tool, for most producers, risk of antibiotic residue decreased by approximately 19%. In particular, more farms kept written records or more complete records. Finally, producers with reported histories of antibiotic residues were less likely to implement management changes to reduce the risk of antibiotic residue.