AVMA applauds Senate passage of bill to repeal 1099 tax language -The American Veterinary Medical Association is pleased that veterinary practice owners and other small businesses will not be sentenced to additional and costly information-reporting procedures that would have an adverse effect on their businesses. Tax paperwork and compliance are already major expenses for small businesses and the new reporting requirements would have substantially increased these costs.

The U.S. Senate passed H.R. 4 April 5 in a vote of 87 to 12.  The U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislation on March 3. The legislation now goes to the President's desk for signature. For more information about this legislation, please visit AVMA.

State Legislature

For a list of all bills that the TVMA Lobbyist, Meagan Frazier, is monitoring, click here.  If you have questions regarding them, you may contact Meagan at 615-255-2643 or meagan@smithharriscarr.com or Legislative Committee Chair Frankie Locklar at 931-388-4750 or flocklar@aol.com. 

AAHA Launches Parasite Counselor Program 

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is launching the first-ever Parasite Counselor Program, which offers veterinarians, veterinary technicians and practice team members specially-tailored courses on parasites and prevention. This program arms veterinary professionals with the information necessary to have detailed conversations with pet owners about the harmful impact parasites have on animals and how zoonotic diseases can be spread to humans. 

The Parasite Counselor Program, a complimentary web-based program that is sponsored by an educational grant from Merial, will consist of four online courses covering fleas, ticks, heartworm and internal parasites. Participants who complete all four courses will receive CE credit and designation of "Parasite Counselor" from AAHA.  Parasite Counselors will have a strong foundation for advising their clients on how to best protect their pets from parasites. The first course, debuting April 20, will examine the impact of flea infestation on clients.

ACVO/MERIAL'S 4^th Service Dog Event Launched April 1^st  - Service dog handlers must register with ACVO during the month of April.  Eye exams will be held during May.  For more information, click here. 

New PLIT Online Training Courses Launch on Managing Controlled Substances and Regulatory Inspections 

The AVMA PLIT has announced the addition of two new online courses at www.avmaplit.com that address prevalent practice management issues in the veterinary industry. These modules were created to help veterinarians and practice managers train and engage with staff on the topics of controlled substances and managing regulatory inspections. These courses will help staff members better understand the risks of controlled substance theft, DEA requirements, and how to manage a visit from a regulatory official such as the EPA or OSHA.

For New Users: Visit www.avmaplit.com login, and then click on the 'loss control and risk management' on the left-side navigation. 'Web-based Training Tool' is the first green hyperlink in the center of the page.

For Returning Users: Visit www.avmaplit.com and click on the 'returning user' link in the center section of the homepage.

Tramadol and Carisoprodol are becoming controlled substances according to a rule filing by the Dept. of Mental Health.  In the past there was an attempt to make these drugs controlled via legislation but it did not pass.  The department has the authority to make drugs controlled through the rulemaking process. Beginning on page 24 of the state document, you will see their explanation regarding why tramadol needs to be controlled.  Also on page 38, TVMA's opposition to the scheduling of Tramadol is noted.  

Read the second in the series of articles on understanding what goes on during a complaint to the Tennessee Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners: The Contested Case.

Market Research Statistics
 U.S. Veterinarians and Veterinary Positions - http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/usvets.asp#definitions

Starting Salaries for 2010 U.S. Veterinary Medical College Graduates - http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/1yremploy.asp

2010 Veterinary Specialists - http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/vetspec.asp 

Bayer Study Finds Six Causes for Yearly Decline in Companion Animal Veterinary Visits

Bayer Animal Health, Brakke Consulting and the NCVEI announced the results of the Bayer Veterinary Care Usage Study, a comprehensive investigation into reasons for the decline in companion animal veterinary visits over the past several years. The study identified six root causes:

• The economic impact of the recession
• Fragmentation of veterinary services
• Consumers substituting Internet research for office visits
• Feline resistance
• Perception among pet owners that regular medical check-ups are unnecessary
• Cost of care

For a copy of the presentation releasing these results at the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando on January 18, 2011, click here.

Disaster plans must include pets.

As emergency crews respond to the tsunami crisis in Japan and flooding in California, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is reminding pet owners in a video to include pets and livestock in emergency plans. In the short video, Dr. Case details the simple plans and precautions that pet, horse and livestock owners can undertake to protect their animals if disaster occurs. The video has been posted on AVMAtv.

State Veterinarian's Office News

State News 
 New "Orders of the State Veterinarian" will list Trichomoniasis requirements for the importation of breeding bulls into Tennessee. Please visit the TDA website for details. 

• July 16-19, 2011 - AVMA Convention 2011 - St. Louis, MO
• 2011 - World Veterinary Year - 250th Year Anniversary of Veterinary Medicine