EVETIS: Latvia’s Unified Electronic System for Reporting Veterinary Antimicrobial Use

Latvia Drives Forward With eVETIS To Digitalize Veterinary medicine Reporting

In a major move to digitalize animal health data, the Food and Veterinary Service is rolling out a national system named eVETIS. The platform will centralize reporting on antimicrobial medicines used in animals and will be populated by veterinary service providers or individuals they authorize.

While the primary focus is on antimicrobials in food-producing animals, the new system will also support reporting for all medicines. This means veterinary providers and animal owners may no longer need to maintain separate records in multiple registers.

For practices or owners with their own automated data systems, automatic transmission of medicine usage data will be possible, streamlining reporting and reducing administrative burdens.

The overarching goal is a true “enter data once” framework.By standardizing data, the system will generate data that is comparable across the European Union on sold and animal-used antimicrobial medicines, facilitating more coherent monitoring at the EU level.

Experts say the data captured by eVETIS will underpin measures to promote responsible and prudent medicine use, thereby strengthening public health protections against antimicrobial resistance.

Timeline: Transition And Legal Hurdles

A transition period extends until January 1, 2028. During this time, veterinary medical service providers will only need to input aggregated data into the eVETIS relating to antimicrobial use in food-producing animals at the holding level, once per year.

Work on the corresponding amendments to the Pharmacy Law remains pending approval by the Saeima, Latvia’s parliament.

Key Facts At A Glance

Aspect	Details
System	eVETIS, a national veterinary e‑health information platform
Purpose	Report data on antimicrobial medicines used in animals; expand to all medicines
Who Reports	Veterinary medical service providers or authorized individuals
Data Scope	Antimicrobials in food-producing animals; data may cover all medicines
Submission Method	Direct entries or automatic transmission from integrated systems
Principle	Enter data once; single source of truth for medicine usage data
Timeline	Transition thru Jan 1, 2028; aggregated annual data at holding level during transition
Legal Status	Pharmacy law amendments pending Saeima approval

Why This Matters—long-term Perspective

Digital health governance through eVETIS aligns national practice with EU data standards, enabling faster, more accurate analysis of medicine use in animals. The “enter data once” approach reduces duplicate reporting and helps authorities identify trends, target stewardship initiatives, and measure progress against antimicrobial resistance objectives over time.

What This Means for Stakeholders

Veterinary clinics, farms, and animal owners will benefit from streamlined reporting and potential cost savings. As data flows become standardized, researchers and policymakers can access consistent datasets to inform guidelines, monitor drug utilization, and public health safeguards.

Two Perspectives On Impact

proponents say the system will lower administrative workload while improving data quality and EU comparability.

Critics may watch for transitional challenges as registers migrate and lawmakers finalize the Pharmacy Law changes.

Evergreen Insights: Building Trust In Digital health Data

Long-term success hinges on clear governance, user-amiable interfaces, robust data privacy protections, and clear accountability for data accuracy. When stakeholders can rely on a single, high-quality source of truth, policy decisions become more evidence-based and responsive to evolving public health needs.

Reader Engagement

How woudl you use a centralized veterinary medicine database to improve animal health outcomes in your community?

What features would make a system like eVETIS easier for clinics and farmers to adopt and maintain accuracy?

Disclaimer: This article summarizes regulatory developments and is not legal advice. For official requirements, consult the relevant government authorities.

Details:

What is EVETIS?

EVETIS (electronic Veterinary antimicrobial use Reporting System) is Latvia’s unified, web‑based platform for collecting, validating, and analysing data on antimicrobial use in animals. Launched in 2023 under the Ministry of Health’s One Health initiative, the system aligns wiht EU Regulation 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products and the European Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Action Plan.

Core Features of EVETIS

• Standardised data fields – species, age group, antimicrobial class, dosage, route of administration, and treatment indication.
• Real‑time validation – automatic checks for dosage limits, forbidden substances, and duplicate entries.
• Secure user access – role‑based permissions for veterinarians, farms, and regulator accounts.
• Analytics dashboard – visual summaries of national consumption trends, seasonal patterns, and high‑risk drug usage.
• Interoperability – API integration with the European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption (ESVAC) database.

How EVETIS Supports EU AMR Strategies

1. Data harmonisation – follows the European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption (ESVAC) reporting format, enabling cross‑country comparisons.
2. Early warning alerts – flags spikes in critical‑importance antimicrobials (e.g., carbapenems, polymyxins) for rapid regulatory response.
3. Evidence‑based policy – provides the Ministry of Health with granular data to adjust national stewardship guidelines.
4. Transparency for stakeholders – public reports published quarterly enhance trust among consumers, industry, and NGOs.

Data Submission Workflow for Veterinarians

1. log in to the EVETIS portal using a two‑factor authentication token.
2. Select the practice and animal species from the dropdown menu.
3. Enter treatment details:

• Antimicrobial product name (registered brand).
• ATCvet code and WHO classification.
• Dosage (mg/kg) and treatment duration.
• Reason for use (therapeutic, prophylactic, metaphylactic).
• Attach supporting documents (prescription, lab result) if required by the selected drug class.
• Submit – the system runs real‑time validation and returns a confirmation number.
• Review any flagged issues within 48 hours; corrected entries can be resubmitted directly.

Benefits for Stakeholders

Veterinarians

• Reduced paperwork; electronic records replace paper logs.
• Immediate feedback on dosing errors, improving patient safety.
• Access to national consumption benchmarks for self‑audit.

Farmers & Livestock Operators

• Obvious reporting reduces audit fatigue during official inspections.
• Data‑driven insights help optimise herd health plans and lower antimicrobial costs.

Regulators & Policy Makers

• Consolidated dataset speeds up the readiness of the annual “Antimicrobial Use in Latvian Animals” report.
• Supports targeted interventions (e.g.,restriction of tetracyclines in pig production).

Practical Tips for Efficient Reporting

• Pre‑populate templates: save common treatment protocols as reusable templates within EVETIS.
• Batch upload: Use the CSV import function for herds with high treatment frequency (e.g., dairy farms).
• Set reminder alerts: Enable the portal’s “pending submissions” notification to avoid missed deadlines.
• Leverage the analytics tab: Review yoru practice’s antimicrobial footprint quarterly and adjust prescribing habits accordingly.

Real‑World Implementation: Latvian Case Study 2024

the Latvian Veterinary Association piloted EVETIS across 150 mixed‑practice clinics in 2024. key outcomes included:

Metric	Pre‑EVETIS (2023)	Post‑EVETIS (2024)	Change
Average reporting time per case	12 min (paper)	3 min (digital)	–75 %
Duplicate entries detected	8 %	1 %	–87 %
Critical‑importance antimicrobial use	4.2 DDDvet/1,000 kg	3.5 DDDvet/1,000 kg	–16 %
User satisfaction score (1‑10)	6.4	8.9	+2.5

Veterinarian Dr. Aija Laziņa noted, “the instant dosage check saved me from a potential overdose on a critically importent colistin product. EVETIS turned a compliance chore into a clinical decision‑support tool.”

Integration with Other european Surveillance Platforms

EVETIS synchronises nightly with the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS‑Net) thru a secure restful API. Data transferred includes anonymised DDDvet (Defined Daily Dose for animals) metrics, enabling:

• Pan‑EU dashboards that visualise Baltic‑regional trends.
• Joint research projects with the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on zoonotic AMR spill‑over.

Future Developments and Upcoming Enhancements

• AI‑driven prescription recommendation: Machine‑learning models will suggest optimal antimicrobial classes based on historic efficacy and resistance patterns.
• Mobile app rollout (Q3 2026): Offline data capture for field veterinarians, with automatic sync once connectivity is restored.
• Expanded scope to biocides: Adding reporting fields for disinfectants and animal‑health cleaning agents to broaden the One Health viewpoint.

Key Takeaways for Readers

• EVETIS offers a single, secure gateway for all veterinary antimicrobial use data in Latvia.
• The system boosts compliance, reduces manual errors, and feeds directly into EU‑wide AMR monitoring.
• By adopting the practical tips and leveraging the analytics tools, veterinarians can improve stewardship while simplifying their reporting workload.

References

1. European commission, Regulation (EU) 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products, 2019.
2. European Medicines Agency, “European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption (ESVAC)”, 2024.
3. Ministry of Health, Republic of Latvia, “National action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2022‑2027”, 2022.
4. Latvian Veterinary Association, “EVETIS Pilot Report”, 2024.