AMTRA top students for 2001 rewarded

Top students from two of theAnimal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA) series of examinationsfor 2001 have been rewarded for their achievements.

Caroline Findlay from Virbacwas top student in the AMTRA Manufacturers' exam, while Helen Goldberg fromSchering Plough was runner-up in the examination, which took place lastSeptember.

The best student from thetwo GSL/Companion Animal Register examinations held in 2001 was self-employed BeverleyDovey, the runner-up being Melanie Jeffrey from Sherleys.

The awards were presented byformer chief executive of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Dr Mike RutterCBE at the Annual Dinner of the National Office of Animal Health, held inLondon on 18 April.

Congratulating theprizewinners, NOAH chief executive Philip Sketchley said: NOAH would like tocongratulate them all. Their hard workand intelligence is a credit to themselves, their companies and the animal healthindustry. The AMTRA qualifications are designed to ensure that the higheststandards of training, education and professional conduct are upheld.

He added: NOAH would alsolike to congratulate everyone who participated in the AMTRA scheme, which wasinstigated in 1991 to give animal medicine manufacturers representatives theopportunity to gain a formal qualification and to become better informed abouttheir industry. It is now a condition of NOAH membership that allmanufacturers representatives gain an appropriate AMTRA qualification.

To acknowledge the hard workneeded to gain the qualification, NOAH sponsors annual prizes for the highestscoring entrants in the AMTRA Manufacturers examinations. The Pet Care Trustsponsors the prizes for the GSL/Companion Animal register exam.

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Notes for Editors

1. For further informationcontact: NOAH - Phil Sketchley orAlison Glennon on 020 8367 3131, or e-mail noah@noah.co.ukor visit the NOAH website www.noah.co.uk; or AMTRA - Mrs Winn Dawson on 01394411010, or e-mail info@amtra.org.uk orvisit the AMTRA website www.amtra.org.uk

2. AMTRAis an independent regulatory body whose task it is to ensure that thedistribution of animal medicines in the UK is undertaken in a responsiblemanner by qualified persons. The board of AMTRA comprises an independentchairman and vice-chairman, two directors appointed by DEFRA, two from NOAH,three from Animal Health Distributors Association and one each from NationalFarmers Union, Pet Care Trust, British Veterinary Association, Royal PharmaceuticalSociety of Great Britain and British Equestrian Trade Association.

3. TheNational Office of Animal Health was formed on 1 January 1986 to represent theUK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animalhealth products. The association has 37 corporate members and 12 associatemembers. In 2001 NOAH's members accounted for around 95% of the 359 million UKanimal health market, with additional valuable exports.

4. Thereare now 4 different AMTRA Registers of Qualified Persons: AgriculturalMerchants Suitably Qualified Persons (SQP) Register, Saddlers SuitablyQualified Persons (SQP) Register, Animal Medicine Manufacturers' Sales StaffRegister and GSL Companion Animal Medicines Register.

5. TheTraining and Certification of Companion Animal Medicines (GSL) Sales Staffaward, which is an appropriate qualification for NOAH members selling purelypet GSL products, was devised by the Pet Care Trust, in 1998 with full supportfrom NOAH and AMTRA. It is designed forretailers of GSL pet medicines to the public and for manufacturers salesrepresentatives selling pet medicines on the General Sales List to retailers

6. GSLstands for General Sales List. Medicines classified as such have to undergo thefull stringent licensing procedure, but are classified as suitable for sellingfrom any retailer.