The initiative designed to support veterinary professionals in providing more considered and sustainable care
CVS Introduces ‘Prescribing With Purpose’ To Advance Clinical Quality And Environmental Stewardship In Practice
2 weeks ago 
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CVS is launching Prescribing with Purpose, a new clinical improvement initiative designed to support veterinary professionals in providing more considered and sustainable care across its UK companion animal practices.
The project asks colleagues to implement their own ideas for improvement in three key areas of veterinary prescribing: reducing the environmental impact of anaesthesia, promoting responsible use of antibiotics, and encouraging personalised parasiticide prescribing to protect both animal health and biodiversity.
By encouraging more considered decision-making in these areas, CVS aims to combat antimicrobial resistance, support veterinary teams in their improvement goals, and reduce the environmental impact of everyday clinical practice.
- Sustainable anaesthesia. Anaesthetic gases, particularly isoflurane, are potent greenhouse gases - up to 500 times more impactful than carbon dioxide. Despite their low volume, they represent a significant portion of a veterinary practice’s carbon footprint. Fortunately, their environmental effects are short-lived, meaning reductions in use can yield rapid climate benefits. As part of the Prescribing with Purpose project, CVS teams are being encouraged to explore practical ways to reduce anaesthetic gas use without compromising patient safety. These include minimising anaesthetic time, reducing fresh gas flow rates, identifying and fixing gas leaks, optimising pre-medication, and ensuring equipment is functioning efficiently.
- Prescribing antibiotics with purpose. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top ten global health threats, with projections estimating over 10 million deaths annually by 2050. Responsible antibiotic use is critical to safeguarding both human and animal health. The Prescribing with Purpose project invites teams to review internal and external prescribing guidance, infection control processes and post-operative complication rates. A central hub of antimicrobial stewardship resources will support teams in making informed, purposeful prescribing decisions. It builds on CVS’ successful 2019 collaboration with the University of Liverpool, where 60 practices reduced high-priority antibiotic prescriptions by 40% in cats and 23% in dogs. This was achieved through benchmarking data and case reviews, use of CVS AMR policies and ProtectMe posters, team reflections on prescribing behaviours, and regular progress updates and peer discussions.
- Personalised parasiticide prescribing. Parasiticides are essential for preventing zoonotic disease and maintaining animal welfare. However, growing evidence shows that these products - especially spot-on and oral treatments - can contaminate aquatic ecosystems and harm biodiversity. Via the Prescribing with Purpose project, CVS is promoting a risk-based, lifestyle-led approach to parasiticide prescribing. Instead of blanket treatments, veterinary teams will assess individual pet needs, zoonotic risks, and environmental impact. A new Parasiticide Risk Assessment Tool will help translate owner-provided information into tailored recommendations. This part of the project is supported by CVS and Provet resources, Vet Sustain’s 4 Rs of responsible prescribing (Review, Replace, Reduce, Refine), training on parasite species and current research, and integration with the CVS’ Healthy Pet Club.
CVS’ Prescribing with Purpose will ask veterinary teams to make small, meaningful changes that make a lasting difference. The initiative is grounded in quality improvement principles, using simple tools like the Model for Improvement to help teams test and implement changes gradually. Every team member is encouraged to participate, reflect, and contribute to this meaningful progress.
To help practices implement Prescribing with Purpose, CVS has launched a new Clinical Projects Hub on its Knowledge Hub learning platform. The Hub offers training and resources to support successful project outcomes and weekly drop-in sessions with project leads for guidance and support. The Clinical Projects Hub is designed to bring everything together, make navigation easier, and ensure every team member is involved in learning and implementation.
Victoria Musk, RVN and Prescribing with Purpose Project Manager said: “Prescribing with Purpose is one of CVS Group’s most significant clinical improvement initiatives in companion animal care to date. It reflects a collective commitment to continuous improvement, environmental sustainability, and enhanced care for clients and their pets. Through learning and working together with a strong sense of purpose, veterinary professionals across CVS practices have the opportunity to lead the way in responsible prescribing - helping pets, supporting each other, and caring for the planet.”
CVS Group operates across small animal, farm animal, equine and laboratories, with over 500 veterinary practices and referral centres in the UK and Australia. CVS has invested £122 million in its sites, facilities, equipment and technology since the start of 2023, in addition to providing industry leading training and support, to give the best possible care to animals.
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