Sustainability at Vetcare
"Developing new products and medications that support animal well-being allows us to provide an opportunity for an ever-growing number of our customers to take better care of animals, people, the environment, and businesses. We are confident that we have the opportunity and responsibility to offer our expertise to as broad a customer base as possible. We believe that our actions have significance."
We model sustainability according to the A3P framework based on the United Nations' 17 principles of responsibility: Animal, People, Planet, and Profit.
We bear our social and societal responsibility, ensure the well-being of animals and the environment, and strive for profitable and thriving business operations. Through this, we guarantee employment and well-being for future generations.
Main Objectives of Sustainability at Vetcare
Our primary goal is to support Finland's government program's (2019) climate targets and achieve carbon neutrality in Finland by 2035 through our sustainable actions. In 2025, due to our size, we will fall within the scope of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting directive, obliging us to report more transparently on our sustainability initiatives. Additionally, through our production chain, we will partially fall under reporting obligations in 2024 when we provide our distributors with the carbon footprint values of our products for their reporting. Currently, a project is underway for this purpose.
Vetcare's Sustainability Guidelines
Reliability and sustainable conduct are at the core of Vetcare. As a Finnish veterinary pharmaceutical company, the ethical nature of our operations is evident in our desire to enhance the well-being of animals and their owners, providing improved products to support overall welfare.
We assess the ethics and sustainability of our operations in all aspects:
We continuously conduct product development and research, such as antibiotic resistance, canine sedation, and pain relief. We identify threats of antibiotic resistance and consistently work towards addressing them.
We support research and development at Finnish universities and actively participate in various studies, including those focused on the well-being of production animals and the "One Health" program. We believe that well-being of animals leads to well-being of people.
We allocate 2% of our annual profit to the training of industry experts. We strive to minimize our environmental impact by optimizing production, packaging, logistics, travel, and leveraging digitization.
We contribute to Finland's government program's (2019) climate targets and aim for carbon neutrality in Finland by 2035. We are currently investigating our carbon footprint in operations and production chains, actively seeking opportunities to reduce our footprint without compromising medication safety.
Sustainability and reporting are integral to all our operations. The high regulation in our industry demands transparency, assessment, and reporting of operations and production chains. We continuously conduct sustainable assessments, risk analyses, and quality assurance monitoring in our production chain. We promptly address any deviations and report them.
Read also: A truckload of papers on the quality director's desk
Additionally, we annually practice medication recalls and regularly evaluate the quality and reliability of the factories producing our products.
Read also: Three-dimensional quality concept in a veterinary pharmaceutical company
Antibiotic resistance
We are continuously taking concrete measures to combat antibiotic resistance, including efforts in drug development, education, and alternative treatments. As an example, we have developed a narrow-spectrum antibiotic preparation for the treatment of mastitis in dairy cows. Mastitis is the most common antibiotic-requiring disease in dairy cows, and the use of narrow-spectrum antibiotics instead of broad-spectrum ones is one of the most significant actions in the fight against antibiotic resistance. The drug has become a market leader in the Nordic countries and has a significant impact on resistance control.
Read more: Reducing overuse of antibiotics through Finnish product development
University collaboration and research
We annually allocate a significant portion of our turnover to research and development with the aim of discovering more precise and efficient medications with fewer side effects. In terms of research, we collaborate closely with universities. One significant form of collaboration is the interdisciplinary One Health research conducted at the University of Helsinki, which examines the health and well-being of humans, animals, and the environment as an interconnected whole. This collaboration includes funding for research and development projects as well as donations to support universities. In this way, we can contribute to the emergence of new innovations and the progress of the industry.
Read more: Vetcare Oy donates to University of Helsinki Faculty of Veterinary Medicines Residency Training
Canine sedation
We identify challenges in veterinary medicine and its practices and strive to develop solutions for them. As an example, in collaboration with the University of Helsinki, we have developed a novel sedative for minor procedures in dogs. The medication was launched in 2022. The cardiovascular strain caused by the sedative is lower compared to a conventional sedative, making the procedure safer for both the dog and the veterinary staff.
Responsible product range
We assess the responsibility and ethics of the medications we manufacture and sell before bringing them to market. We include in our product range only antimicrobial medications compliant with domestic microbial recommendations. We have restricted the inclusion of broad-spectrum antibiotics in our selection and have added products that support animal training and well-being.
Drug residues
We continuously assess the drug residues of our own and the mass medications we sell, considering their impact on the environment through the natural cycle. We aim to reduce the environmental burden of medications and, for instance, have developed an enzyme preparation (Antipen) that breaks down residues of penicillin used in the treatment of mastitis in a treated cow's milk. This allows for the safe utilization of milk collected during both the treatment and withdrawal periods in feeding calves, thus avoiding unnecessary environmental stress.
Veterinarian Well-being
Behind the well-being of animals is always a well-being person. Studies indicate that work-related stress experienced by veterinarians is significantly higher than the general population, especially in the early stages of their careers, which can even impact work motivation. Therefore, we support the well-being and resilience of veterinarians by incorporating the topic into our content and by annually allocating 2% of our profits to education and sponsorship within the field.
Responsible Employer
We employ directly and indirectly a significant number of professionals in the field in Finland. Our long-term employee relationships reflect people's commitment and good working conditions. We support continuous training for our staff, monitor well-being through various surveys, and develop our culture in line with our values. Additionally, as a company, we have offered most of our employees the opportunity to participate in the company's ownership program, and indeed, most of our employees are shareholders. Responsible employment also involves financial responsibility. We pay our taxes in Finland and strive to ensure sound business practices through proper pricing and operational optimization. This way, we can continue to make a positive impact for tomorrow and future generations.
Vetcare Code of Conduct
We are committed to operating responsibly and we also require all of our partners to do the same. To support this aim, we have created an ethical code of conduct to make Vetcare’s objectives concerning the wellbeing of animals, people, and the environment as clear and unambiguous as possible to all parties.
Our code of conduct applies to all of our partners, and we require them to commit to the operating principles in these guidelines. In doing so, we wish to ensure good, long-term, profitable, and healthy relationships with all of our partners in the future.