AVA ACT Division President’s Report - 2 April 2024

New Graduate and New to Canberra and District social and CPD

ACT Division is hosting our annual event for those new in the area, including and especially recent graduates, on Wednesday 24 April from 7pm. Drs Julie Boyle and Frazer Boneham from Canberra Veterinary Emergency Service (CVES) will speak about “Best Practice in CPR”, talk about how the emergency service operates, and provide a tour of Gungahlin Veterinary Hospital to see CVES “in action”.

Venue: Gungahlin Veterinary Hospital, 21 Crinigan Circle, Gungahlin
Light dinner provided
Free for those new to Canberra and District.
RSVP on or before 10 April 2024 to natalie.wood@live.com.au. 

Although we are inviting new to Canberra and District vets directly (with thanks to the ACT and NSW VP Boards for assistance, as well as AVA and staff), we would appreciate employers and colleagues bringing this meeting to the attention of anyone you think might like to come. They don’t need to be AVA members.

Meeting with the Chief Pharmacist of the ACT

Following the meeting called by the ACT Health Protection Authority in February, representatives of  Division are meeting with the Chief Pharmacist  on Wednesday 3 April to discuss the current Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods legislation, threats to veterinary practice heralded in the NSW review into their legislation, and areas where the current legislation cold be changed to make veterinary practice more efficient and to enable us to serve our patients and clients better. AVA staff active in Policy and Advocacy in this area, and the President of the ACT Veterinary Practitioner’s Board will also be present.

Areas that we will be raising include:

• Access to compounded medications
• Rights to dispense and supply, including on prescription and to supply medication to other registered veterinarians
• Labelling requirements
• How prescriptions can be communicated to a pharmacy or other supplier
• Access to prescription only medication for researchers

Division Committee

By the end of the month the ACT Division will have a new committee and a new President. I’m delighted to announce that Dr Mark Schipp is joining the committee, and we welcome his experience, expertise and friendship. The new President will be announced after our next committee meeting later this month.

The ever busy Dr Kevin Doyle is stepping down for the Committee, but will maintain a role in assisting with ACT and District Branch matters. Kevin has served the AVA and the Division for more years than we can, or he cares to, remember, and the veterinary profession in Australia, and animal health and welfare, are immeasurably better because of his service. Kevin, we thank you and look forward to ongoing friendship, and to tapping into your wisdom.

I am stepping down from the privilege of leading the Division committee after three years, and want to express my gratitude for the knowledge, skills, effort and friendship of all those who have served on the Division Committee over the last 8 years since I rejoined the committee, and especially the last 3 years. It has been an ongoing pleasure and source of great satisfaction, and I wish the new President every success. A Division committee, and especially its President, cannot function effectively without the amazing support of the AVA apparatus, - from the membership team through to the CEO and Board. Amongst many, Senior Advocacy Officer Liz Gemes, who has guided and taken care of us for many years, is worthy of the thanks of all members in the ACT, and certainly receives mine.

Best wishes to you all.

Michael Hayward BVSc FAVA

AVA ACT DIvision

President