NEWSLETTER
Veterinary Board of the Northern Territory
AUGUST 2013
Goff Letts Building, Berrimah Farm, Berrimah NT GPO
Box 3000, DARWIN, Northern Territory 0801
Email: vetboard@nt.gov.au Phone:08 89992028
Web: www.vetboard.nt.gov.au Fax: 08 89992089
______________
Depending on the legislative priorities of the new
government, the goal is to have an Amendment Bill
for public consultation by mid to late 2014.
BOARD MEMBERSHIP
Malcolm Anderson (President)
(ex-officio - Chief Inspector of Livestock)
Ian Gurry (Vice President)
(elected veterinarian)
Shane Bartie (Member)
(elected veterinarian)
Dick Morton (Member)
(appointed veterinarian)
Marion Davey (Public Interest Member)
(appointed non-veterinarian)
As an interim measure, some of the outcomes of
the review and the national recognition of
veterinary registration have been achieved through
amendments to the Veterinarians Regulations,
which came into effect on 3 August 2012. These
included an up-dated Code of Conduct which has
been widely circulated to the profession.
It is incumbent on all registered veterinarians to be
conversant with and abide by all professional and
statutory obligations relevant to veterinary practice,
including codes of conduct, and the need to
maintain current veterinary practice standards.
Administrative Support
Bernadette McKirdy (Board Registrar)
Board Happenings
Welcome to New Members
The Board welcomes the new Board President,
Dr Malcolm Anderson and the recently appointed
Public Interest Member, Dr Marion Davey.
Impending Retirement of Board Registrar
The Board Registrar, Mrs Bernadette McKirdy
intends to retire at the end of September 2013.
Mrs McKirdy has held the position since January
2007. Her management of the office and service
to the Board and veterinary registrants are
acknowledged and much appreciated.
Anticipated Appointment of New Registrar
It is anticipated that a new Registrar will be
appointed in time to administer the annual
renewal of veterinary registration process which
commences at the end of October.
LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS REVIEW OF VETERINARIANS ACT
Full copies of the Veterinarians Act, Veterinarians
Regulations, the code of conduct, the guidelines
promulgated by the Veterinary Board, and all
legislation impacting on veterinary practice in the
Northern Territory are available on-line at the Board
website: www.vetboard.nt.gov.au and copies of all
Northern Territory legislation can be viewed on the
Northern Territory Government website:
http://www.nt.gov.au/dcm/legislation/current.html
PRESCRIBED FEES
Veterinary Registration Fees are prescribed in the
Veterinarians Regulations as “revenue units”. The
monetary value of a revenue unit is reviewed
annually under the Revenue Units Act based on the
Consumer Price Index (CPI). A recent review
determined that the monetary value of a revenue
unit should be raised from $1.05 to $1.07.
As a result, there was a slight increase in
Veterinary Registration Fees from 1 July 2013.
Advice on the review of the Veterinarians Act and
proposals emanating from the review has been
provided to the new Northern Territory
Government and approval will be sought to draft
an amendment Bill
VETERINARIANS:
Primary Registration
(for majority practice in Northern Territory)
Initial Registration
$160.00 (AUD)
Annual Renewal
$107.00 (AUD)
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VETERINARY SPECIALISTS:
Primary Registration
(for majority practice in Northern Territory)
Initial Registration
$213.00 (AUD)
Annual Renewal
$160.00 (AUD)
The National Recognition of Veterinary
Registration (NRVR) cannot be fully adopted until
the Veterinarians Act is amended. However,
amendments to the Veterinarians Regulations
that commenced on 3 August 2012 have
resulted in NO FEES being payable for
secondary registration (ie registration to
undertake locum/periodic practice in the Northern
Territory). In the interim, it is still necessary to
lodge an application to apply for secondary
registration and to renew existing secondary
registration.
Predicted Increase in Fees for Primary
Registration
With the cancellation of fees for secondary
registration (which represents roughly half of the
veterinarians on the Northern Territory Veterinary
Register), the fees for primary registration will
need to be increased to a level commensurate
with those levied by other Veterinary Boards in
Australia.
Accordingly, a substantial increase in fees for
annual renewal of veterinary registration to
something in the order of $250.00/$300.00 is
anticipated.
REGISTRATION STATISTICS
In the 2012-13 financial year the Board received
and approved 44 applications for registration. Of
these, 13 applications were lodged under the
Veterinarians Act, 29 were lodged under the
Mutual Recognition Act (MRA) and 2 were
lodged under the Trans-Tasman Mutual
Recognition Act (TTMRA).
Registration under the MRA and the TTMRA
provide an alternative pathway to registration that
requires registration authorities to “mutually
recognise” the applicant’s current veterinary
registration and good professional standing in
another State or Territory in Australia or in New
Zealand as a sufficient qualification for the grant
of registration under local laws.
A total of 15 applicants were granted primary
registration for majority practice in the Northern
Territory (including one who was granted limited
registration to practise veterinary pathology and
undertake research in veterinary virology and
work towards completion of the veterinary
pathology examination for membership of the
ANZCVS); 26 were granted secondary registration
to undertaken locum/periodic practice in the
Northern Territory; and 3 were granted “deemed
only” registration to undertake a brief period of
clinical practice as volunteers in the animal health
program
operating
in
remote
Indigenous
communities.
The majority of the applications determined in the
2012-13 financial year were from graduates from
Australian Veterinary Schools, with the exceptions
being 10 graduates from 7 overseas schools.
The breakdown was as follows:
 Melbourne x 9
 Murdoch (Western Australia) x 8
 Charles Sturt (Wagga Wagga) x 5
 Queensland x 6
 Sydney x 5
 James Cook (Queensland) x 1
 Dublin x 3
 London x 2
 Edinburgh x 1
 Massey (New Zealand) x 1
 Utrecht (the Netherlands) x 1
 Munich (Germany) x 1
 Uganda x 1
As at 30 June 2013, there were 219
veterinarians registered to practise in the
Northern Territory. Of these, 123 held primary
registration for majority practice in the Northern
Territory and 96 held secondary registration for
locum/periodic practice in the Territory. These
numbers include 6 veterinary specialists with
secondary registration who specialise in diagnostic
imaging,
ophthalmology,
dermatology
and
behavioural medicine, and 1 with primary
registration who specialises in small animal
surgery.
_________________________________________
MANAGING COMPLAINTS
The importance of compliance with the Code of
Conduct and Board Guidelines, coupled with the
maintenance and application of contemporary
veterinary standards in the delivery of veterinary
services to minimise the potential for complaints
being lodged with the Board, cannot be overstated.
As many problems stem from misunderstandings
that may be resolved by seeking clarification and
talking things through, it is Board policy to
encourage prospective complainants to discuss the
issue in question with the veterinarian concerned
and/or the practice owner in the first instance. In
turn, veterinarians are encouraged to facilitate this
conciliatory approach by being willing to keep the
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lines of communication open for further
discussion and explanation, where appropriate,
to possibly diffuse the problem before it escalates
to a formal complaint to the Board.
It is very pleasing to report that, despite
receiving a number of general queries (which
appeared, in the main, to relate to inadequate
communication and monetary matters that fall
outside the Board’s jurisdiction), the Board has
received no new complaints alleging misconduct against any Northern Territory
registered veterinarians since mid-2012.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT (CPD)
The Case for Undertaking and Recording CPD
Whilst CPD is not mandatory for annual renewal
of registration, there is a professional obligation
and expectation that registered veterinarians
should undertake (and record) some form of
continuing education relevant to their area of
professional practice each year.
CPD is an important contributing factor in the
Board’s assessment of alleged misconduct in the
event of a complaint. It is generally expected
that the level of participation in CPD programmes
should be sufficient to maximise the individual’s
competency in his/her chosen field of veterinary
practice.
CPD Diary
Most Veterinary Boards promote the use of a
CPD Diary based on the AVA’s standard form.
This form provides for the recording of CPD
points accrued through both structured and unstructured professional development activities.
(Structured: conferences, seminars, workshops,
formal courses, presentations to peers, written
assessment tests, journal publications, post
graduate qualifications in veterinary science.
Unstructured: unassessed audio or computerbased courses, private reading of journals/texts,
mentoring students or post graduate candidates.
Legislative Imperatives for Requiring CPD
The case for requiring CPD lies in the
imperatives prescribed in the legislation
governing veterinary practice. In the Northern
Territory’s case, these obligations are prescribed
in the following extracts from the Northern
Territory Veterinarians Act, Regulations and
Code of Conduct:
Failure to uphold or maintain contemporary
professional
standards
constitutes
incompetence within the meaning of
misconduct as defined in section 28 of the
Veterinarians Act.
The Code of Conduct prescribed at Regulation 9
of the Veterinarians Regulations requires at
Clause 1 that registered veterinarians must be
familiar with and abide by all legislation
pertaining to veterinary practice; and must
maintain current standards of practice in their
chosen areas of veterinary practice to the level
expected by their professional peers, the users of
veterinary services and the public; and carry out
all veterinary services in accordance with the
Board’s guidelines.
Clause 4 provides at 4(1) and 4(2) that registered
veterinarians must maintain current standards of
veterinary practice in their areas of veterinary
practice; “always carry out veterinary services in
accordance with those current standards and in
accordance with the Board’s guidelines”; and
“base professional decisions on evidence-based
science or well-recognised current practice, or
both.”
Clause 20 requires that “Before undertaking
practice in a particular area of veterinary science, a
registered veterinarian must ensure that he or she
has the knowledge and competence necessary to
practise in that area.”
Board’s Expectations
Ongoing CPD relevant to the veterinarian’s scope
of practice is expected by the Board, in order to
uphold contemporary professional standards as
described in clause 1 of the Code of Conduct and
Section 28(2) of the Veterinarians Act.
The commitment of all States and Territories to the
National Recognition of Veterinary Registration
(NRVR) commands a consistent approach to CPD
requirements across all States and Territories.
The Board expects all veterinarians practising in
the Northern Territory to:
 undertake some form of CPD each year
 maintain a record of their CPD
 take cognizance of the relevance of CPD in
 the Board’s assessment of alleged misconduct
in the event of a complaint

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note that CPD may comprise:
o formal continuing education
o


peer group activities (eg within the
workplace and within the profession)
self-directed learning
be aware that CPD need not be restricted to
veterinary services and may include such
related areas as practice management,
stress management, communication skills,
cultural awareness etc.
PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION AND
PROVISION OF CLINICAL RECORDS
There is a general expectation at the legislative,
professional and community level that, in providing
suitable management and treatment of animal
diseases and conditions, registered veterinarians
will:
- have the welfare of animals as their primary
concern (Code of Conduct clause 1(1)(c);
ACCESS TO CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES BY
NON-VETERINARIANS
Authorisations may be issued by the Northern
Territory Department of Health for Schedule 4 or
Schedule 8 Drug Use under section 28(6) of the
Poisons and Dangerous Drugs Act
(which
provides that:
“(6) The Chief Health Officer may, by instrument
in writing, authorise a person to obtain from a
pharmacist, possess and use a Schedule 4 or 8
substance for a purpose and in accordance with
the conditions, if any, specified in the instrument
and the person may obtain, possess and use
that substance accordingly.”)
There appears to have been an increase in the
number of requests for veterinarians to assist
animal researchers and the like (and their
sponsoring
agencies)
to
facilitate
their
applications for authorisations to possess and
use schedule 4 and schedule 8 veterinary drugs
in the course of their work. One example was
the use of Lethabarb for wallabies.
Veterinary Oversight of the Use of Restricted
Drugs by Non-vets
The associated process requires veterinary input
into the establishment and review of standard
operational procedures and guidelines for the
use of the specified drugs and attendant training
and supervisory responsibilities. There is a
potential risk that this could leave the
veterinarians legally vulnerable in the case of
future misuse of a drug by persons they have
trained and/or deemed as competent for the
purpose of receiving an authorisation to possess
and use a restricted veterinary drug.
It is recommended that veterinarians who are
contemplating taking on this role
(1) re-familiarise
themselves
with
the
legislative requirements outlined in the Board’s
advisory note on prescribing obligations to be
met and borne by registered veterinarians; and
(2) seek independent legal advice on the
potential risk of liability.
- be prepared to utilise the skills of their colleagues,
by consultation or referral, when appropriate
(Code of Conduct clause 6);
- comply with clients’ requests for a second
opinion (Code of Conduct Clause 10); and
- will not “mislead, deceive or behave in such a way
as to have an adverse effect on the standing of
any registered veterinarian or the veterinary
profession” (Code of Conduct Clause 7 –
Professional Conduct).
The following relevant extracts from the Board’s
Guidelines on Record Keeping (which include
references to Clauses 11, 12 and 16 of the Code of
Conduct
prescribed
in
the
Veterinarians
Regulations that refer to the provision, return and
maintenance of veterinary records), are provided in
response to recent queries concerning the
legislative requirements and expectations for the
provision of full veterinary records (including x-rays
and all diagnostic test results) when clients request
a second opinion.
Clause 11 PROVISION OF RECORDS
“A registered veterinarian who has previously
treated an animal must, when requested to do so,
and with the consent of the person responsible for
the care of the animal, provide copies or originals
of the case history records directly to another
registered veterinarian who has taken over the
treatment of the animal.”
Clause 12 RETURN OF RECORDS
“A registered veterinarian to whom another
registered veterinarian has referred an animal for
treatment or a second opinion must return the
records provided by the referring registered
veterinarians as soon as practicable.
Clause 16 RECORDS
(1) A registered veterinarian must ensure that a
detailed record of any consultation, procedure
or treatment is made as soon as practicable.
(2) The Board has the power to audit records.
Page 4 of 7
(3) The record must:
(a) Be legible and in sufficient detail to enable
another registered veterinarian to continue
the treatment of the animal; and
(b) Include the results of any diagnostic tests,
analysis and treatments.
(4) A registered veterinarian must ensure that
all records of any consultation, procedure or
treatment are retained for at least 3 years after
the records are made.
veterinary skills and an increasingly sophisticated
knowledge base. However, it is unrealistic for an
employer to expect that new graduates will be
competent in all veterinary skills, procedures and
techniques upon graduation. Knowing how to
apply their knowledge base and skills and to
communicate
effectively,
takes
time
and
experience.
GUILDELINES UNDER SECTION 6(e) OF THE
VETERINARIANS ACT - RECORD KEEPING
Contemporary
professional
standards
for
veterinary practice require that case notes should
provide sufficient details to enable another
veterinarian to continue the treatment of the
animal at any time.
This includes (but is not necessarily limited to)
full details of:
any condition or injury
any examination, procedure, treatment
any provisional or definitive diagnosis
the results of any diagnostic tests
estimates on likely extent and cost of
treatment, given prior to treatment (as
required by clause 17 of the Code of
Conduct)
any drugs prescribed and directions provided
instructions given when the animal is
discharged
any drugs administered (including amount
and route)
anaesthetics given.
On a cautionary note, veterinarians are reminded
that contravention of, or failure to comply with the
Veterinarians Act, Veterinarians Regulations or a
prescribed code of conduct constitutes
“misconduct” within the meaning of section 28 of
the Veterinarians Act, which is a ground for
possible disciplinary action under the Act.
published
New graduates should not be expected to perform
after-hours duty or remain in sole charge until they
are fully conversant with work place procedures
and back-up facilities and have achieved adequate
levels of competence.
A new graduate should not be required to attend
after-hours calls without adequate support until
he/she is competent to undertake independent
practice. New graduates will become independent
after different time frames, largely determined by
the experience they gain in their jobs. In the
event of a complaint it will be up to the
employer to demonstrate that the new graduate
has been adequately trained and supported.
New graduates must accept that an “on-the-job”
learning curve exists and should seek assistance
from within the practice when they find themselves
out of depth or at the limit for their experience and
knowledge.
It is reasonable for the employing practice and the
practice clients to expect that new graduates will be
supported by the senior veterinarians.
New
graduates have this expectation and so does the
Veterinary Board.
The Board’s Guidelines on Staff published on the
Board website – www.vetboard.nt.gov.au provide
further guidance.
In addition, new graduates may benefit from
participation in the mentoring program offered by
the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA).
SUPPORT FOR NEW GRADUATES
(A re-print of article
Newsletter July 2011)
Employers have an obligation to supervise
inexperienced veterinarians at all times until
competency is achieved.
in
Board
Email: avant@ava.com.au
Web: 13-0527-sec_attach A.docx
Employing a new graduate carries certain
responsibilities and requires greater input and
support from the practice than employing an
experienced graduate. Not every practice has
the resources to employ and appropriately
support a new graduate.
Employing veterinarians are reminded that
veterinary graduates are provided with core
Page 5 of 7
NATIONAL VETERINARY WORKFORCE
SURVEY UNDERTAKEN BY THE AVA
In 2012 the AVA conducted the first national
survey of the veterinary workforce in Australia.
The report analysing the results of the survey is
available
on
the
AVA
website
at
http://www.ava.com.au/about-us/policy-andpositions/topics-2.
It is intended that the survey will be conducted on
an annual basis to gather the data required to
develop relevant insights into workforce trends,
educational needs and other issues relating to
the future of the veterinary profession.
All veterinarians are encouraged to assist this
endeavour by participating in the 2013 on-line
survey, which can be accessed directly at:
http://ava.informz.net/survistapro/s.asp?id=2134
NATIONAL RECOGNITION OF VETERINARY
REGISTRATION (NRVR)
The NRVR process has been operating in
Victoria and New South Wales since 2011 and
commenced in Tasmania in December 2012.
This essentially means that a veterinarian who
both resides and practises in Victoria, New South
Wales or Tasmania must be registered with the
relevant State Veterinary Registration Board.
Veterinarians who reside and practise outside
these three States who wish to undertake short
term practice or locum placements in Victoria,
New South Wales or Tasmania are “deemed” to
be registered to practise in those States provided
they hold on-going registration in another
jurisdiction in Australia.
In other words, they may practise in Victoria,
New South Wales or Tasmania without the need
to formally register with the local State Veterinary
Board, provided they abide by the local laws
governing the provision of veterinary services
and comply with the prescribed Code of Conduct.
Veterinarians who wish to work in jurisdictions
other than Victoria, New South Wales and
Tasmania are still required to formally register in
each of those jurisdictions.
Veterinarians practising in the Northern Territory,
Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
and the ACT must apply for registration with the
respective State/Territory Veterinary Board.
Those who require primary registration for majority
practice in the Northern Territory must register with
the Veterinary Board and pay a prescribed fee.
Those who require secondary registration for
periodic/locum practice must register with the
Board, but there is no fee.
AUSTRALASIAN VETERINARY BOARDS
COUNCIL (AVBC)
All Veterinary Boards in Australia and New Zealand
are members of the Australasian Veterinary Boards
Council (AVBC) and contribute to, and are guided
and assisted by Council’s recommendations to the
extent permitted by the individual State and
Territory Acts regulating veterinary practice. Under
the Northern Territory Veterinarians Act, persons
seeking registration are required to hold a
veterinary qualification recognised by the AVBC.
The Veterinary Board of the Northern Territory is
represented on the AVBC by Dr Richard (Dick)
Morton.
The AVBC is responsible under its Constitution for
accrediting veterinary schools and courses;
assessing the suitability for practice in Australia, of
persons with foreign veterinary qualifications;
conducting the National Veterinary Examination;
making recommendations on uniform criteria for the
recognition of qualifications for registration of
veterinarians and veterinary specialists; and the
standardisation and quality assurance of veterinary
services to the community.
CHANGES TO EXPORT PREGNANCY TESTING
REQUIREMENTS
On 4 July 2013, the Northern Territory Department
of Primary Industry and Fisheries (DPIF) received
notification from the Australian Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) of
changes to the identification and reporting of the
pregnancy status of cattle sourced and presented
for export. These changes took effect from 1
August 2013.
Under the new requirements, exporters must
provide pregnancy or spey declarations that clearly
and individually identify any female cattle that are
presented for export, their pregnancy status
(slaughter/feeder and breeder) and stage of
pregnancy (breeder) as well as the date that cattle
were pregnancy tested or speyed. This will require
changes in procedures during the preparation of
female cattle for export.
Under the Northern Territory Veterinarians Act
and Regulations, all veterinarians practising in
the Territory must register with the Veterinary
Board of the Northern Territory.
Page 6 of 7
Accredited pregnancy testers and veterinarians
will need to:
1. Ensure all animals pregnancy tested are
individually identified.
2. A record of the pregnancy status for each
individual animal is recorded which is
linked to their individual identification.
3. The date that each individual animal is
pregnancy tested is recorded.
This information will need to be provided to the
exporter. Radio Frequency Identification Devices
(RFIDs) and National Livestock Identification
System (NLIS) readers should be used for this
purpose.
Exporters have requested that a hard copy of this
information is provided, together with the vendor
declaration. DAFF has advised that if there is
evidence that a pregnancy status declaration is
inaccurate; all cattle identified in that declaration
may be re-tested to confirm their pregnancy
status and stage of pregnancy.
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE WITH TICK
RESEARCH – MURDOCH UNIVERSITY
Ticks Wanted!
With the tick season fast approaching in eastern
Australia, and with an all-year round tick season
in the north, a team of researchers at Murdoch
University is investigating potentially pathogenic
microorganisms in the ticks that bite companion
animals. Whilst some pathogens like Babesia
and Anaplasma are well documented in certain
regions of Australia, our research aims to
investigate the diversity and distribution of a
wider range of bacterial and protozoal organisms
including Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp., Coxiella
spp., Ehrlichia spp., Francisella spp., Rickettsia
spp. and Theileria spp., using the latest
molecular diagnostic tools.
A FEW REMINDERS
Public Register
Northern Territory registered veterinarians are
encouraged to check the accuracy and currency of
their registration details recorded on the public
register published on the Board’s website at
http://www.nt.gov.au/d/vetboardnt/applications/regi
ster/ and to advise the Board of any amendments
required.
Annual Renewal of Northern Territory (NT)
Veterinary Registration and need for accurate
mailing address
Notices regarding the annual renewal of
registration to practise as a veterinarian in the NT
in 2014 will be posted out on 31 October 2013 to all
veterinarians on the NT Veterinary Register (in both
categories of primary and secondary registration) to
the last known postal address recorded in the
Board Register.
Please advise the Board
Registrar if your postal address has changed or
you do not wish to renew your NT Veterinary
registration and do not wish to receive a
renewal notice.
The researchers would welcome your assistance
with this research by collecting ticks for them off
your patients.
If you would like to be involved, please contact
Associate Professor Peter Irwin by email at
P.Irwin@murdoch.edu.au or by phone on
(08) 9360 2590. The researchers will send you a
tick collection kit together with instructions on
how to remove, preserve and transport the little
critters to Murdoch!
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