Aust Vet J Vol 79, No 2, February 200176

News

London police are searching for somedim-witted burglars who thoughtthey had struck an illicit stockpile of

cocaine after they broke into a house whilethe owner was on a social outing.So delighted were the intruders by thediscovery of a ceramic container – with asizeable quantity of tightly wrapped whitepowder – that they quickly started forming“lines” on the dining room table.Their excitement was increased when theynoticed the name, Charlie, on a ceramicnameplate at the base of the container.(Charlie is one of several nicknames forcocaine.)But, tragically, reality soon dawned. Try asthey might – and the wide spread of thepowder around the house indicated theytried and tried – the burglars failed to get

the buzz they were expecting. In fact, theygot very little, except nostrils filled with avery dry powder that apparently triggeredsome major sneezing fits.Bitterly disappointed, the lads fled thescene – after robbing the house.When the owner, Dee Blyth, returned shehad very mixed feelings about finding herhome had been invaded and the powder“stockpile” spread extensively around thepremises.Ms Blyth overcame any initial misgivingsand rang for police assistance. She told thedetectives that the powder had been thecremated remains of Charlie, her late andmuch-loved dog, who normally residedproudly on her mantelpiece in his veryown ceramic container! Charlie died in1997.

They initiated a search for any red-facedand white-nosed criminals who could bestupid enough to have perpetrated thisparticular offence. It was expected therewas little chance of a confession – if for noother reason than sheer embarrassment.Ms Blyth said she was furious about thebreak-in and robbery, as well as thedisturbance to what was left of Charlie.“This whole situation is so incredible thatI am almost willing to forget the twothousand pounds I have lost in the way ofhousehold effects just to keep re-living theimage of these morons sniffing away atCharlie and expecting a buzz,” she said.(Editor’s note: This story is true – it ran onthe front page of one of London’s majornewspapers, complete with a picture of thebemused home owner and the ceramiccontainer bearing Charlie’s name.)

UK police – tracking dog sniffers, not sniffer dogs

The AVA Therapeutics AdvisoryCommittee meets twice a year andprovides advice to the Policy Council

and the Board on chemicals, drugs andpoisons. The November meeting of thecommittee covered issues considered by PolicyCouncil and the Board, development of AVApolicies on therapeutics, a number ofsubmissions to government and a number ofon going issues.Submissions were made to the Review ofDrugs, Poisons and Control SubstancesLegislation: the Review of AdministrativeArrangements for Public Health and SafetyRegulation and a review of the scheduling ofIvermectin for use in small animals.Work continues on the prudent use ofantibiotics following the JETACAR report andTAC is considering the appropriateness of theFARAD system for advice on thepharmacokinetics of drugs in food producinganimals with a view to the avoidance ofchemical residues in animal products.The use of veterinary drugs in aquaculture andthe inclusion by the National Residue Surveyof residues in products derived from fish andmarine animals are under consideration.Labelling requirements and on farm recordingmechanisms of drug usage as well asscheduling of Ketamine and permits for theuse of Streptomycin (since the ban and generalavailability) are under consideration.Registration and availability of autogenousvaccines is also a topical issue.Members with drug or chemical concerns thatshould be considered by AVA can refer them toTAC through divisions, special interest groups(SIGS), or through Policy Council members.

Therapeutics advice

The extension of the veterinarysurgeons award to more than1200 practices Australia-wide is

seen by the Employed Veterinarians’Association (EVA) as an importantevent for all associate veterinarysurgeons. For the first time employersare legally bound so they must legallymeet the requirements of the award as aminimum. An employer who fails to doso may incur fines, may be required toback pay staff and, given the smallnature of the profession, will inevitablysuffer a certain level of professionalhumiliation. Employed veterinariansshould be aware of the award details toensure their remuneration and workingconditions are adequate.Determining the appropriate level andform of remuneration can be anarduous task. There are three steps tothe process: determination of theemployee’s classification (levels 1A to4), deter-mination of the number ofhours worked in a normal week(including after-hours), anddetermination of the form ofremuneration.An individual’s classification dependson his or her level of experience,professional competency and the levelof supervision an employer is requiredto provide. Employers and employees

should agree on a classification prior tothe commencement of employment andit should be reassessed at least on a six-monthly basis. The normal working week runs for 38hours, between 6am and 9pm on anyday of the week. Hours worked in excessof this are paid at the same hourly rate orvia time off in lieu. Remuneration fortime worked on call is determined asbeing 50% of the professional feescharged, with a $25 minimum. TheEVA recommends that records of hoursworked and of professional fees chargedwhile on call should be kept in a diary.The only means via which an employeewill have recourse is by the presentationand analysis of this information. Atregular intervals the requiredcalculations should be made to ensureadequate pay is being received. This notonly assists employers in ensuring theymeet the legal requirements of the awardbut also helps avoid and resolvepotential conflicts.Only a handful of practices Australia-wide are exempt. Further informationcan be obtained from the EVA on 0355983209 or eva@ava.com.au.Alternatively, it is also available athttp://indrel.agps.gov.au

Matthew R MakinPresident, EVA

EVA’s views on extensionof the Interim Vets Award