The current VIN date & time: Eastern

VIN Prudent Use of Antimicrobials (PHAR305) Self-Study

This course is a self-paced, non-interactive course.

Presenters: Peter Foley, MSc, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)
Sandra McConkey, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP
Course Open: September 8, 2021-June 30, 2022
Total CE Credit: 3.5
RACE Category: 3.5 hours Medical

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Course Information:
Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing problem in both human and veterinary medicine. Whenever an antimicrobial is used, it inadvertently selects for resistance by killing or inhibiting sensitive bacteria and leaving behind resistant organisms. As a result, medicines become ineffective and infections persist, increasing hospital times, cost and morbidity. Inappropriate antibiotic use can lead to superbugs that are difficult or impossible to treat with our current antibiotic options. This course will discuss the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance, the use of "best" practices to avoid the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance.

To earn a certificate of completion the participant must complete all learning modules and score 80% or better on the end-of-course test. Completion of the course will take a minimum of 210 minutes. Participants must complete the participation requirements by June 30, 2022 to be eligible for a certificate.

To learn more about the requirements for earning a non-interactive CE certificate, please refer to Non-Interactive CE Certificate Requirements.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, the participant should be able to
  • understand the importance of preventing antimicrobial resistance.
  • describe what resistance (including multi-drug resistance) is, how and why it occurs, and when antimicrobial use is required.
  • explain empirical vs rational choice of antimicrobials.
  • explain how to get the most information out of an MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) result.
  • identify when and which antimicrobials are appropriate for small animal diseases, including the following scenarios.
    • perioperative antibiotic use
    • urinary tract infections
    • miscellaneous infectious diseases

Level and Prerequisites: This basic VIN CE self-study course is open for enrollment to veterinarians and veterinary students actively interested in antimicrobial resistance stewardship. This course is open to VIN members only.
Accreditation: This non-interactive course is approved for 3.5 hours of continuing education credit by RACE for veterinarians. (RACE 20-851291)

Course Agenda:

Module 1: What is Antimicrobial Resistance?
Total Time: 90 minutes
Video: 90 minutes
Polls: 8

Module 2: What to Choose for Specific Diseases
Total Time: 105 minutes
Video: 105 minutes
Polls: 10

Module 3: End of Course Test
Total Time: 15 minutes
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course.

Module 4: Course Evaluation

To learn more about the requirements for earning a non-interactive self-study CE certificate, please refer to Non-Interactive CE Certificate Requirements.


Enrollment is closed.


Tuition: VIN Member $81
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

  1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  3. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to starting the course. If you wish to withdraw after you have started this self-study course, please contact the VSPN office 800-846-0028, ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director

VIN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357