Netherlands Association for Companion Animal Medicine (NACAM) P.O. Box 421
3990 GE Houten
The Netherlands
Tel: ++ 31 30 6348900
Website: www.knmvd.nl
President: Dr. Frank Kahlmann
E-mail:Kahlmann@dapnaardenbussum.nl WSAVA Representative
Dr. Renee Chalmers Hoynck van Papendrecht
Tel: +31651568630
E-mail: r.hoynck@wxs.nl Members (as of January 2008): 1040
______________________________ Mission:
Within the KNMvD (Royal Netherlands Veterinary Association), the Groep Geneeskunde Gezelschapsdieren (GGG) unites the companion animal veterinarians in the Netherlands. As part of the KNMvD, the GGG promotes the professional development of companion animal veterinarians when it comes to animal welfare, animal health, and public health. The group’s core values are:
• transparency and quality
• independence and integrity
• sustainability Mission statement:
“To place a priority on the companion animal veterinarian, taking the interests of man and his pet into account” Vision:
The GGG aims to position companion animal veterinarians as independent experts in the field of the health and welfare of companion animals. Companion animal veterinarians are also the gatekeepers for public health. The GGG achieves this by striving for continuous improvement in the quality of veterinary medicine for companion animals, the goal of which is to promote the health and welfare of companion animals. The GGG is also fully aware of the socio-economic position of companion animal veterinarians. As part of the KNMvD, the GGG champions the interests of companion animal veterinarians, both those within the association as well as other parties. Spearheads for 2012
The GGG has designated the following themes as policy spearheads for 2012:
• Quality
• Animal welfare and animal health
• Socio-economic position and the income structure of companion animal veterinary practices
• Internal organisation 1. Quality
Over the coming years, the KNMvD will make substantial investments in order to create a Central Quality Register for Veterinarians (CKRD). At the same time, the GGG is working on a quality project for companion animal veterinary practices which will start in 2012. The GGG will ensure that the sector-specific quality project closely matches the KNMvD’s central quality policy.
The starting points here are that the total KNMvD quality system forms a logical whole, that participating in the GGG project provides added value to companion animal veterinarians, and that all of this remains affordable. For this reason, the GGG will do the following in 2012:
1. Consult its support base regarding GGG quality policy.
2. Coordinate the GGG’s vision and policy within the central sounding board group “quality of the KNMvD”.
3. Continue to develop the GGG plan so that it closely matches that of the CKRD (once this has been started up).
4. Add the requirement for being listed in the CKRD register to our own quality control system. 2. Animal welfare and animal health
Many problems with the health and/or welfare of (special) companion animals are caused by a lack of knowledge and skill on the part of pet owners. The National Information Centre for Companion Animals (LICG) was founded to educate the general public regarding the housing, nutrition and care of companion animals. Through focused campaigns created via the LICG, the GGG hopes to improve the information provided to the general public on responsible pet-keeping. One of the issues involved is irresponsible pet breeding practices which result in animal health and welfare problems. The KNMvD has adopted the starting point from the report issued by the Council of Animal Affairs (Raad voor Dierenaangelegenheden)’ in February 2010, “Breeding and Reproductive Technologies”: veterinarians should not facilitate any breeding operations that harm animal health and welfare. The GGG would like to expand on this by drawing up guidelines for good veterinarian practices regarding the role veterinarians play in the breeding of companion animals. For this reason, the GGG will do the following in 2012:
1. Initiate a public awareness campaign via the LICG on the consequences of hereditary defects in purebred dogs with a view to providing potential pet owners with better information.
2. In 2011, the GGG set up a companion animals breeding work group, the goal of which is to further elaborate on the role of the veterinarian in the breeding of companion animals. In 2012, the GGG will translate this work group’s recommendations into guidelines that will be binding within the GGG/KNMvD quality policy. 3. Socio-economic position and the income structure of companion animal veterinary practices
As a result of the problems involving resistance to antibiotics, a debate arose regarding the earnings model for veterinarians. Given the fact that veterinarians both prescribe and supply veterinary medicines, this could point to the presence of a ‘perverted' incentive. Although the earnings from veterinary medicines within the companion animal sector is considerably lower than in the livestock farming sector, this discussion also worries the GGG. The GGG wants to support companion animal veterinarians in any transition to a more socially responsible earnings model. The GGG’s starting point is that after government intervention, the income of companion animal veterinarians must remain up to standard, and that there are good reasons to retain the pharmacy as a type of service offered by companion animal veterinary practices, namely:
1. The problems with antibiotics occur primarily in the intensive cattle breeding sector. This is why measures are most urgent in this sector. Based on the initial calculations, we estimate that the share of the total volume of antibiotics prescribed in the companion animal sector in the Netherlands is less than 1%. This is the case even though most of the practices in the Netherlands are active in the companion animal sector. Antibiotics are only used curatively in the companion animal and horse sectors and are not used as a disease management tool like they are in the livestock farming sector.
2. The relationship between veterinarians and (professional) cattle breeders is not the same as the relationship between veterinarians and consumers. In the livestock farming sector, a veterinarian is often dependent on several large clients who work in an economically oriented environment. In the companion animal sector however, the doctor-patient relationship is more relevant, such as in the human sector, in which emotions play a strong role.
3. In addition, the average contribution the pharmacy makes to the income of veterinarian businesses active in the companion animal sector is much lower when compared with the intensive cattle breeding sector. With companion animals, the volumes are much lower and the costs are higher. In addition, in the companion animal sector, out of the total number of medicines sold, it is expected that fewer of these will be products that require a prescription (POMs), such as the UDD, UDA and URA categories in the Netherlands. However, since we are currently lacking good insight into this situation, additional research into the level of profit earned on antibiotics, veterinary medicines requiring prescriptions, and the total sales of veterinary medicines is desirable. Another factor at play here is the interest in an independent position for the veterinarian, as described in the Council for Animal Affairs’ report, ”Visibly Better - The Role of the Veterinarian in the Public Interest” from May of 2009. The KNMvD’s five-point plan (5pp) offers several points of departure for also improving the position of companion animal veterinarians, so they will be better able to protect social interests such as animal welfare and public health. For this reason, the GGG will do the following in 2012:
1. Within the KNMvD, the implementation of a dual-track policy will be advocated in the elaboration of the 5pp with respect to possible measures the government may take to reduce the use of antibiotics.
2. Study the possibilities within the 5pp to create a responsible earnings model for companion animal veterinarian practices.
3. Study the possibilities within the 5pp for improving veterinarians’ independent position whereby animal health and welfare serve as the guiding principles.
4. Place a more active focus on the cost calculator developed by the KNMvD among its members.
5. Prepare companion animal veterinarians for a transition to a different earnings model via refresher courses offered by the PEGD (association for the continuing education of companion animal veterinarians). 4. Internal organisation of the KNMvD association office
In recent years, the KNMvD internal organisation has undergone several changes. The GGG would like to reinforce its position within the association in order to better defend the interests of companion animal veterinarians. This means that the GGG would like to see more coordination between centralised and decentralised policies. In addition, in order to achieve its objectives, the GGG needs sufficient support from the association office. For this reason, the GGG will do the following in 2012:
1. Set up a good consultative structure between the KNMvD and GGG boards.
2. Make agreements with the director about providing support in implementing GGG policy.
3. Ensure that there are a sufficient number of candidates with a companion animals signature for the Members Council elections.
4. Amend the GGG Rules of Procedure to conform to the new group regulations of the KNMvD, and thus also the possibilities for including digital member consultations.
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