Weekly News – 07/13/2010
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| Veterinary Advantage would like to thank its sponsors in promoting excellence in animal health sales including Abbott Animal Health, Ansell, Bovie, IDEXX, Intervet/Schering Plough, Merial, Midmark, Ethicon/Novartis, Sempermed, and UltiCare. |
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Top Stories Merck & Co. to close 16 facilities United Pet Group expands recall Merrick Beef Filet Squares 10-ounce bag recalled Putney Inc. partners with VetCentric VITALS program targeted for horse owners VIN surveys members on AVMA Abaxis Official Veterinary Laboratory Partner of Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games |
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Products to Watch UltiCare offers discount on U-40 Insulin syringes Midmark new VetPro® 5000 Dental Station now available Agreement to distribute Proxitane® AHC in the United States |
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Events Forum on Animal Disease Traceability Scheduled for August |
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Sales Article on getting a deal through finance |
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Events Forum on Animal Disease Traceability Scheduled for August |
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Worth Watching VetCentric One-Click Home Delivery Now Available Through AVImark Obama presses for food safety reform |
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Stock Watch Stock Watch |
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Top Stories |
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Merck & Co. to close 16 facilities According to Dow Jones Newswires, Merck & Co. announced that it would close eight research sites and eight manufacturing plants to hit cost-saving targets promised as a result of last year’s takeover of Schering-Plough. The site closings are part of Merck’s ongoing efforts to integrate Schering’s operations following the $49.6 billion deal closing in November 2009. Merck had pledged to generate annual cost savings of $3.5 billion by 2012 as a result of the Schering deal. “These changes are crucial to drive future growth and realize the promise of being a global health care leader for the long term,” Chairman and Chief Executive Richard T. Clark said in a press release. Together with prior site closures, Merck’s global manufacturing network will shrink to 77 facilities from 91 at the close of the Schering merger, Dow Jones Newswires reported. This includes 29 animal-health plants slated to become part of a planned joint venture with Sanofi-Aventis SA’s (SNY) Merial unit. |
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United Pet Group expands recall United Pet Group of Cincinnati has expanded its recent recall of its Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin tablets for dogs to include additional branded and private label pet care products. The expanded recall, issued July 2, includes more Pro-Pet products as well as various Excel-branded and private label pet supplements and clean-up products for cats and dogs. Laboratory testing has revealed that some lots of these products may be contaminated with salmonella, according to the company. The company said it is recalling additional products out of “an abundance of caution.” The affected products are in tablet and powdered form and were sold nationally at various retailers, including Petco and Doctors Foster and Smith, United Pet Group reported. The affected products carry expiration dates from “01/2013” through “06/2013.” Products with expiration dates before “01/2013” or after “06/2013” are not included in the recall. The company had issued a voluntary recall in late June of all unexpired lots of its Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin tablets for dogs. At that time, the company reported that one lot of the vitamin product was contaminated with salmonella. |
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Merrick Beef Filet Squares 10-ounce bag recalled The FDA reported that Merrick Pet Care is recalling 86 cases of its 10-ounce “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs” pet treats. A surveillance test by the FDA found salmonella contamination in one of the lots of the treats. The affected Beef Filet Squares are sold in 10-ounce plastic bags marked with “Lot # 10084TL7 Best By Mar 24, 2012” on the top of the bag and on a sticker applied to the bottom. |
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Putney Inc. partners With VetCentric Putney, Inc. announced that it will supply its Carprofen Caplets, the bioequivalent generic to Pfizer’s Rimadyl® caplets, to VetCentric, a national pharmacy that supports veterinary practices by providing home delivery of FDA- and EPA-approved pharmaceuticals direct to pet owners. Both Putney and VetCentric are committed to supporting veterinarians in their efforts to increase compliance and improve patient health. “Our shared goal is to make it as convenient and cost effective as possible for pet owners to provide their beloved pets with the treatments they need to live long, happy lives,” says Jean Hoffman, president and CEO of Putney. |
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VITALS program targeted for horse owners The KHC Health and Welfare Committee, whose members include veterinarians and professionals in the animal health and welfare field, developed a program called VITALS. It is designed to “assist horse owners in communicating basic health indicators to their veterinarians when illness, injury, or disease is suspected,” according to a report in TheHorse.com. The program was developed by Doug Byars, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (internal medicine), ACVECC (emergency and critical care), of Byars Equine Advisory LLC in Georgetown, Ky. The program includes a stethoscope, thermometer, instructional poster, and information booklet comprise the VITALS kit. “VITALS is a link for responsible horse owners to connect with their veterinarians to develop an informed relationship to manage the health and well-being of their horses,” said KHC Board President, Madelyn Millard. “All horse owners should talk to their veterinarians and learn how to use a stethoscope and assess vital signs properly.” |
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VIN surveys members on AVMA In a recent survey of members of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), nearly 59 percent of respondents gave a “fair” or “poor” rating to AVMA’s efforts to understand and address issues that are important to veterinarians. Fifty-six percent also gave a “fair” or “poor” rating to the quality of the group’s communication with its members. About 90 percent of those surveyed are members of AVMA. The 19-item questionnaire was e-mailed to VIN’s roughly 43,000 members in January 2010 and drew 2,934 responses. Overall, AVMA received generally positive ratings from the VIN community. More than 80 percent of respondents gave an “excellent” or “good” rating to the group’s annual conferences, its liability insurance for members and its reporting of scientific issues in its two periodicals, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Journal of Veterinary Research. A smaller majority was pleased with the group’s governmental advocacy and its health insurance products, VIN News Service reported. Finally, 58 percent answered that they “somewhat believe” or “strongly believe” AVMA is living up to its stated mission — to improve animal and human health and advance the veterinary medical profession. AVMA spokeswoman Sharon Granskog said the group is working hard to improve in the areas where VIN members found fault. “A fair or poor response on how the AVMA communicates or understands issues of importance to our members is not acceptable,” she wrote in an e-mail. “Nothing is more important to us than communicating with our members in a way that is easiest, most convenient and effective for them.” |
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Abaxis Official Veterinary Laboratory Partner of Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Abaxis was labeled the Official Veterinary Laboratory Equipment Partner of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Abaxis, Inc. donated three VetScan VS2’s, three HM5’s and three i-STAT®1’s to the Kentucky Cup Endurance Test in Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., on Oct. 14, 2009. During the 2010 World Equestrian Games held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., from Sept. 25 through Oct. 10 2010, 50 veterinarians will use the Abaxis instruments to test 120 horses before and after the games. Abaxis will also be donating equipment, rotors and resources to the event. |
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Products to Watch |
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UltiCare offers discount on U-40 Insulin syringes Effective July 1, 2010, authorized UltiCare distributors can offer their customers UltiCare VetRx U-40 insulin syringes for 10 percent off on new orders, the company announced. These syringes are designed to accurately and precisely deliver U-40 insulin, eliminating the need for conversion tables. These premium quality insulin syringes are available in a standard box or an UltiGuard™ dispense and dispose system. |
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Midmark new VetPro® 5000 Dental Station now available Midmark Corporation recently announced the availability of the new VetPro® 5000 Dental Station. The dental station was designed to be compact, efficient and flexible, providing veterinarians with a dental solution to meet their specific needs. The new dental station includes the VetPro® 5000 Dental Delivery System complete with Midmark’s patented, whip-style delivery mechanism; VetPro® lube-free handpieces; Acteon® scaler and fiber optics; the VetPro® Solo Dental Compressor System and the Midmark Treatment table exclusively designed for the rigors of the veterinary environment. The VetPro 5000’s patented, whip-style delivery mechanism allows the user to place the tools they need where they are needed. The scaler, low and high-speed handpieces and air/water syringe are located on the delivery head, which can be moved to an almost infinite number of positions, providing the ultimate in ergonomics and efficiency. For more information about the VetPro 5000 Dental Station or other Midmark veterinary equipment solutions, please call 1-800-MIDMARK or visit midmark.com. |
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Agreement to distribute Proxitane® AHC in the United States KMG Chemicals, Inc, has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Solvay Chemicals, Inc, to distribute the Proxitane® AHC product line for animal hygiene in the United States. Proxitane® AHC is a patented peracetic acid-based broad-spectrum disinfectant that is effective against bacteria, viruses and fungi and is specially formulated to optimize its disinfectant action via its strong oxidizing action, with no known risk of resistance build-up. Its efficacy is enhanced by the specially formulated surfactant which provides better stability, penetration, surface retention and added detergent action. Proxitane® AHC has cleaning and disinfecting applications for all buildings, vehicles and containers used by poultry, cattle, swine and sheep growers. Proxitane® AHC may be used in commercial, institutional, industrial, and veterinary environments to clean, disinfect, and deodorize hard, nonporous inanimate surfaces. |
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Events |
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Forum on Animal Disease Traceability Scheduled for August The U.S. Animal Health Association and the National Institutes for Animal Agriculture will host a Joint Strategy Forum on Animal Disease Traceability on Aug. 30-31 in Denver, Colo. The forum follows the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision this year to redirect its efforts on animal identification to developing a framework for animal disease traceability. Under the new framework, the USDA will determine the rules for the interstate movement of animals, while states and tribal nations will be responsible for the traceability within their boundaries. The forum will bring together state and tribal animal health officials, animal producers, livestock marketers and handlers, and meat processors. They will provide input on the preliminary standards being developed by the USDA’s Traceability Regulatory Working Group. “This forum will allow for the open flow of ideas and concerns,” said Richard Breitmeyer, DVM, state veterinarian for California and president of the U.S. Animal Health Association. “Unless we have a discussion including all parties, the development of a viable animal disease traceability framework will be much more difficult.” For registration details, visit AnimalAgriculture.org or USAHA.org. |
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Sales |
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Article on getting a deal through finance http://thecustomercollective.com/davebrock/33659/sales-success-%E2%80%93-everything-passes-through-finance
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Worth Watching |
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VetCentric One-Click Home Delivery Now Available Through AVImark VetCentric, Inc., and McAllister Software Systems® announced the integration of One-Click Home Delivery into AVImark. Veterinarians can now offer home delivery of pharmaceuticals, compounded medications, and therapeutic and wellness diets directly through AVImark’s Client Information Display. Prescriptions entered into AVImark are electronically sent to VetCentric, where orders are filled and delivered to the client’s home. Each time a home delivery prescription is filled, the patient medical record is automatically updated in AVImark. Veterinarians will need to set up a free account with VetCentric by visiting www.vetcentric.com/signup or by calling (866) 838-2368. For more information on AVImark integrations or the latest AVImark release, visit www.avimark.net or call (877) 838-9273. |
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Obama presses for food safety reform President Obama recently reminded the U.S. Senate that food safety reform is still on their agenda, and that Senators may want to pass legislation in order to expand protections for the food supply, according to OMB Watch. “Today, I thank the House for its work and support efforts in the Senate to pass S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act,” Obama said in a statement. “The bill addresses longstanding challenges in the food safety and defense system by promoting a prevention-oriented approach to the safety of our food supply and provides the Federal Government with the appropriate tools to accomplish its core food safety goals.” Among other reforms, the bill would allow the FDA to order mandatory recalls of tainted food products (a power it does not currently possess) and implement a program to collect fees from certain food facilities to fund increased safety inspections. It would also require the FDA to set new standards aimed at preventing contamination of fresh produce. The bill has been on the Senate calendar since the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee reported the bill in November 2009. |
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Stock Watch
2010-07-13 10:08
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