Appropriately qualified persons for the provision of veterinary medicinal products are more likely to be referred to as “registered veterinary medicinal product advisors”.
When the government relaxed veterinary prescription regulations, the term “SQP” was coined to refer to an agricultural trader with the necessary certification to sell these products directly to farmers. But the name didn’t stay and the Veterinary Medicines Education Regulatory Authority wants it to be changed.
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AMTRA Secretary General Stephen Dawson said, “We are delighted that so many other industry organizations, corporations and animal health companies are now willing to accept the RAMA title and help promote an official name change.
“This is an issue that has been on our radar for a while as we feel that the SQP name does not reflect the skills of those who have completed the training and qualification and also maintain their continuing education and continuous learning. Pet owners don’t understand the initials “SQP”, but neither do they understand “Appropriately Qualified Person,” which is very vague.
“The Registered Veterinary Medicines Advisor, or RAMA, details the important role these people play in a larger animal health plan, and we appreciate the enthusiasm across the industry to support this move,” he added.
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The term is increasingly used by various industry organizations, including AHDA, NADIS, SCOPS, and COWS. As a co-regulator, Vetskill has confirmed its longstanding support for such a change. Global animal health company Zoetis recently launched RAMA Connect, a new platform that meets RAMA’s business needs through training tools, seasonal campaigns, and various other resources to help RAMAs make the most of their role.