When we say drugs for poultry then what we mean by it. A common poultry grower means the products which either prevents diseases in case of preventive regime or curing his birds in case of disease situation.

We all know that viral diseases have no cure but when viral problems get secondary bacterial infections then drugs particularly antibiotics do help.

Other than viral diseases the preventable and curable diseases can be of following diseases. 
 

1-Bacteral

2-Protozones, Coccidiosis

3-Parasites, Worms

4-Fungus

5-Nutritionl deficiencies or supplementation. 
 

These drugs are used mostly through water and sometimes by adding them in feed. There are some drugs which have no choice other than to use them by injections which are getting not easy ever since industrial poultry in shape of control houses have started.

Before we use any drug we must be sure against what disease we are using. In my opinion following are the misusing of drugs possibilities. 
 

IMPROPER DIAGNOSIS

If the disease have not benn diagnosed properly. For example there is enteritis the infection of the intestines. It can be due to coccidiosis,  Clostridium and even with viral problems like ND.

Now if there is cocci and you start giving medication with antibiotic definitely you will not get cure of your problem in spite that there will be medication cost as well as loss of birds.

A vet serving your farm is in better position to diagnose the problem and suggest a proper drug for that. Sure its you as farmer has to decide who you trust but he should be the one have proper vet education from a recognized institution. Experience without education or self medication will be put in the category of misuse of drugs.

There are even some proper educated vets trying practices which they have not studied in their course books and they prescribe Herbal, Homeopathic etc drugs. Some times people do enquire about this from me. I have always simple answer that neither in my graduation nor in my practice I have studied these type of medications. Vets must have self respect for them and strictly abide by the training they have got to practice their profession.

Using such type of so called drugs is in fact misuse of drugs.

I have also heard people recommending humane drugs to animals. Since some years our authorities have made regulation to write on the bottle or pack that this medicine is for animal use. Avoiding this warning obviously mean violation of law as well as misuse of drugs.

The vet should be sure on his diagnosis and sometimes confirmation by lab and should prescribe drugs registered by Govt. of Pakistan. No need for me to tell that its misuse of drugs doing otherwise. 
 

PRESCRIPTIONS

The vets respecting themselves should be respected. After his diagnosis he prescribes certain medication. That has not to be changed either by farmer himself or by his purchaser or the vet medicine store. All the medicines are not same. Some times people just see the active ingredient and conclude the equal. Chemical equivalence in no way means always biological equivalence.

Same chemically alike products behave differently in dissolving as well as in their ability to kill the disease. Good manufacturing companies have unparallel facilities of manufacturing. Since patent rights gets off their comes mushroom producers and they play hell by price war and severely compromising the quality.

Local manufacturers should feel themselves highly responsible. May be they are making good profits but certainly quality compromise will reduce customer trust and like other things people will only trust imported drugs. 
 

LABELS

Once a well known vet told me that some Herbal medicine marketing person told him that although we wrote Herbal but in fact we have added Sulfa drugs in it as the vet was not ready to prescribe products he is not trained for.

Violation of label is not an offence only but a real misuse of drugs. If one himself do not make him accountable no one else can make him even by any sort of punishments.

Products should always confirm the labels to avoid misuse of drugs. 
 

DOSING

After the disease have been diagnosed vet have suggested preventive medication there comes a very important step which is mixing the drug properly. Most of the times powder medicines need some time to be mixed properly. Making stock solutions is always advisable before adding to main tank. Mixing other products with the drug like vitamins etc should not be done without consent and recommendation of the prescriber as most of the products are contraindicated, antagonistic.

Such practice comes also in category of misuse of drugs.

After proper mixing it depends on antibiotic how good it absorbs and reaches to the problem site. If it reaches them does it reach enough to kill the disease organism.

The quality of product also includes how long it stays in the tissue. Its also very important to abide by the recommendation of withdrawal to provide consumers meat and eggs free of medicines. 
 

BANNED PRODUCTS

Some of the products banned in developed countries have been deregistered in our country. I don’t know how but there are information’s of use of such products.

These products are carcinogenic and long withdrawal period. Use of such products is strictly a misuse of drugs. 
 

SENATIVITY

Although Vitro sensitivity is not matching fully with vivo performance of the drugs but still its an indication that the bacteria against which you are using the product is killed by the drug.

Due to high use of some products over a period of time let the resistance to develop. Discontinuing the drug for some period some times returns back its sensitivity.

Use of resistant products like these also is a misuse of drugs.

MODE OF ACTION

The ability of the drug to kill bacteria depends on its mode of action. The products entering through bacterial lipid membrane has to be highly lipid soluble. When the bacteria gets resistance to the drug it changes itself opposite to the mode of action of the drug.

Using resistant drugs is sure a misuse of the drug. 

RESEARCH

Unlike seventies and eighties there is hardly any R&D for veterinary pharmaceuticals. Most of the multinational have been disappeared which means almost no new products are in the pipeline so we have to live longer with existing products. 
 

Proper use of drugs will let them stay longer and we can avoid resistance.