Pharmaceutical stewardship encompasses several areas, including the responsible use of antimicrobials to decrease antimicrobial resistance, the availability of good quality medicines for health care professional use in all areas of the world, and the responsible disposal of those medicines to prevent environmental contamination and unintended exposures. Dr. Carlson, President of the World Veterinary Association for the 2014-2017 term, discusses the need for continued research and responsible behaviours in pharmaceutics to continue to improve human and animal health and welfare, and to provide an abundant, safe, and humanely produced food supply of animal origin.