Comments on: Convention ‘09

By: Dr. Christine Hoang

Dr. Christine Hoang — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:52:12 +0000

@George G. Moore – Thank you for your thoughtful question and comments to our blog. As veterinarians, we should (and do) educate our clients to ensure that treatments, including antibiotics and vaccines, are administered appropriately. The AVMA has consistently encouraged a Veterinarian-Client-Patient-Relationship (VCPR) and veterinary consultation prior to the implementation of any treatment modality regardless of how the product is labeled. With the appropriate veterinary involvement, correct dose, duration of treatment, and withdrawal times should be conveyed to and adhered to by the owner. Residue control programs would detect insufficient withdrawal periods for meat and milk. The FDA allows products whose labels can be read and understood by laypersons to be marketed OTC, and thus available for sale at feed stores and co-ops as you have indicated. You have illustrated an excellent opportunity for AVMA to encourage the regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies to provide more education targeted to the purchasers of OTC products. FDA has recently launched the Animal Health Literacy Campaign as an educational outreach program for multiple audiences and could potentially be interested in OTC products as a topic.
Dr. Christine Hoang
Assistant Director
Scientific Activities Division

By: Dr. Alice Villalobos

Dr. Alice Villalobos — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:49:50 +0000

Thank you for the upcoming town hall at AVMA forum to provide ideas. If your town hall discussions can minimize the constant usage of the heartless business term, “stakeholders,” it might be more appealing and less mercenary for the contemporary environment. Try to frequently and interchangeably replace this term with synonyms such as “members, profession, industry,” etc.

By: George G. Moore

George G. Moore — Sun, 24 May 2009 14:36:58 +0000

What can we as veterinarians do to help control the sale of antibiotics and vaccines through co-ops and feed stores? The owners buy the medicine there and the people selling it do not know how to use the product. The owner does not give enough or gives it too long and does not withhold the milk or the animal long enough before selling. I would like to see the AVMA address this problem!!!

By: Kathryn Griffin

Kathryn Griffin — Sat, 23 May 2009 12:01:51 +0000

I would like to see the AVMA encourage State VMAs to allow CE hour reqmts. changed to every 2 years vs. annual reqmts. It is prohibitive financially to go to a large , truly worthwhile meeting annually. I could go to a large national mtg. every 2 years. The quality is far superior to our “local” offerings & it would be easy to get many hours on one meaningful trip every 2 years. My suggestion has fallen on deaf ears every time I have suggested it over more than 20 years. I will not be attending your annual convention , but could come if the time frame for CE was more flexible.
People that wait until the last minute & scramble for their hours will continue to do so, as will those who sign up for meetings & fail to attend. Please help encourage flexibility for the sake of quality for those of us who genuinely seek quality CE.
I practice in North Carolina.