Packaging, Labeling, and Physical Characteristics and Sales Volume Assessment of Veterinary Antimicrobials in a...

Antibiotics and anthelmintics are widely used in veterinary medicine to prevent, control, and treat infectious diseases. However, in resource-limited settings, the widespread circulation of poor-quality medicines and their inappropriate use have become major obstacles to delivering effective animal healthcare. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of veterinary antibiotics and anthelmintics available across different levels of the supply chain. Additionally, it sought to estimate the sales volume and quantify the consumption of veterinary antimicrobials based on the population correction unit (PCU) in the pharmaceutical market of Hawassa Town.

A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Hawassa city. A total of 44 samples encompassing antibiotics (n = 22) and anthelmintics (n = 22) were collected from purposively selected veterinary drug retail outlets (n = 5) legally operating in Hawassa city. The samples were subjected to visual inspection using the World Health Organization (WHO) visual inspection checklist. In addition, the sales volume of antibiotic and anthelminthic medicines was assessed based on published peer-reviewed journals and international guidelines such as the United States Food and Drug Administration, the WHO for animals (IOE), and the European surveillance of veterinary antimicrobials. Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word were used to encode and analyze the whole quantitative data. Finally, the result is presented through tables, figures, and narrated text.

Out of 44 veterinary antimicrobials, 50% (11/22) of the samples did not comply with standard requirements, while all anthelmintic samples (n = 22) complied. All veterinary antimicrobials were found to be imported from foreign manufacturers. The average daily consumption of veterinary antibiotic and anthelmintic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in Hawassa city was found to be 4547 (60%) and 3073 (40%) grams, respectively. The total consumption of veterinary antibiotics adjusted for food-producing animal biomass was 0.112 mg/kg. Tetracycline (51%) and albendazole (55.8%) were relatively the most consumed (sold) medicines.

The study reveals significant quality concerns with veterinary antibiotics in Hawassa city, where 50% failed the WHO visual inspection, while anthelmintics fully complied. The high daily consumption of tetracycline and albendazole indicates a narrow reliance on a few drugs, raising concerns over antimicrobial resistance. The dependence on imports, mainly from China and India, indicates the need for stronger regulatory oversight and improved local capacity to ensure the safety and effectiveness of veterinary medicines.