The AVMA will be hosting a webinar on state prescription drug monitoring programs on March 9th at 1pm ET. This webinar is intended for state and allied veterinary medical association executives and leadership who are seeking to learn more about the legislative and regulatory experiences of some states and the AVMA relative to the exclusion, inclusion, or potential inclusion of veterinarians in state prescription drug monitoring programs. What you need to know about State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs March 9, 2018 – 1pm ET The opioid crisis is forcing more and more states...

Dr. Linda Lord at Merck Animal Health has shared two resources for VMAE members: As Dr. Lord remarked during comments at the VMAE Fall Conference in Sonoma, Merck has produced an Infectious Disease Management Handbook that is written by leading experts on infectious disease in dogs. Dr. Lord is generously allowing VMAE members to make this handbook available to their VMA members, so you may distribute it with permission. Click here to download. Last week at VMX Dr. Lord was part of a team that presented findings from the just-completed...

AVMA | PLIT has provided two information resources of interest to VMAE members: At the recent orientation to AVMA for new executive directors, it became obvious that many in attendance were unaware that PLIT offers a range of insurance products and resources to help veterinary medical associations. Please click here for details. PLIT released an important update (below) in regard to protecting a veterinary business while working with volunteers and students. Any questions? Please contact Dr. Linda Ellis, AVMA | PLIT Senior Trust Veterinarian, at linda.ellis@avmaplit.com or 312.279.4651. This information is shared...

Banfield released two new resources for veterinary professionals at the Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX). Julie Heade, Industry Relations Specialist at Banfield Pet Hospital, supplied the following information on each resource to disseminate as you see fit, including a one-pager outlining key findings from the 2018 VET Report. Please feel free to use the information below in a newsletter or other communications to your members. If you have any questions about either of these resources, please reach out to Julie Heade  at Julie.Heade@banfield.com or 360-784-5234. With over 1,000 hospitals across the...

Today VMAE is launching a new structure of communications channels that reflect the evolution of our organization, the heightened pace at which information is flowing (in VMAE, in the veterinary community, in the world!), and the valuable information resources our partners are making available to us. Here’s a quick rundown of the VMAE channels: VMAE listserv – Designed for member-to-member connections and interaction about association management, topics related to the veterinary profession, idea exchanges, best practices, etc.  Listserv interactions are archived and searchable through the website. VMAE Peer to Peer...

VMAE | ThinkWORKS 2018 is just around the corner (April 12-14 in Houston) on the topic Diversity & Inclusion: A Roadmap for Success in Organized Veterinary Medicine and the Veterinary Profession. ThinkWORKS provides an opportunity to take a deep dive into the concepts of D&I, with the aid of a stellar line-up of issue illuminators who will share expertise and wisdom with participants. Since colleges of veterinary medicine are actively developing and implementing D&I strategies, VMAE has invited members of AAVMC to join us in Houston to enrich the dialog...

AAVSB (the American Association of Veterinary State Boards) is seeking input on telehealth language for the AAVSB model veterinary practice act. In September 2016 at the AAVSB Annual Meeting & Conference, Member Boards focused discussions on veterinary telehealth and the implications to the regulation of veterinary medicine. The AAVSB Regulatory Policy Task Force (RPTF) gathered input from those discussions to produce a series of telehealth talking points which were shared with AAVSB Member Boards at the 2017 AAVSB Annual Meeting & Conference. The RPTF, which is composed of 12 volunteers...

Executives from Amazon revealed bold plans for the pet category during a presentation at last week’s Pet Industry Leadership Conference in Naples, FL. Pet Business columnist Mark Kalaygian commented that “What they said will almost certainly have huge implications for brick-and-mortar pet retailers” – and the points he raises are of interest to observers of the pet category. You can read his column here....

A colleague of mine is fond of saying “Don’t just do something – sit there!” I’ve kept that admonition on a sticky note that I see when I open my desk drawer, a simple reminder about the value of taking time to contemplate, to stare out the window, to reflect. Often our busy days force us to do, do, do and then do some more, inhibiting our good intentions do less and think more. Enter VMAE | Thinkworks 2018. A perfect opportunity for a deep dive with a stellar faculty into...