Assessment of Rational Drug Use Practices Among Veterinary Practitioners in Kano State

Rational drug use in veterinary practice requires that the appropriate medicine be prescribed at the correct dose, for the right duration, and with due consideration for resistance risk and withdrawal periods. Suboptimal prescribing practices contribute to treatment failures, drug residues in food, and antimicrobial resistance in both animal and human pathogens. This study assessed rational drug use practices among veterinary practitioners in Kano State, North West Nigeria, using a validated structured questionnaire administered to 80 registered veterinarians and veterinary technicians in government and private practice. The questionnaire evaluated knowledge of dosing principles, attitude towards prescription guidelines, use of withdrawal periods, and access to current formularies. Observational data from 30 farm visits documented actual prescribing practices. Results showed that 68.8 percent of practitioners reported prescribing antibiotics without culture and sensitivity results due to cost and laboratory access limitations. Only 42.5 percent consistently communicated withdrawal periods to livestock farmers. Injectable oxytetracycline was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic, cited by 85 percent of respondents. Access to current veterinary formularies was limited, with 52.5 percent relying on drug company representatives as their primary information source. Practitioners with university education showed significantly better prescribing knowledge than technicians. These findings indicate significant gaps in rational drug use practices in Kano and support the need for continuing professional development programmes, national prescribing guidelines, and improved laboratory diagnostic access for veterinary practitioners. Keywords: rational drug use, prescribing, veterinary, Kano, antimicrobial resistance.