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PHARMACHEM NEWS BULLETIN
MARCH 1999
EDITORS COMMENT
Hold the front page ! Stop the presses ! April
is well underway and where is the March bulletin ? Don't you know
well where it is, the only thing more amazing than the eventual arrival
of this monthly drone is that the originator has not been long since dispensed
with in favour of something more reliable. Like a Honda 50 or a tax
demand. Why is it so difficult to pen a couple of hundred words on
relatively infrequent basis ? At school we did it once a week in at least
two languages and on such a diverse range of topics that the mind boggles
even to remember - "Should punishment fit the crime ?" in french for gods
sake. 500 words. No sweat. Discuss the legacy of Peig Sayers
with reference to the shark fishing industry of Achill Island - As Gaeilge.
Eight pages - easy peasy.
But now, try to get two hundred words or so on
more or less anything you want just once a month ..... you may as well
be asking Milosevic which direction is Mecca. The enthusiasm just
doesn't seem to be there.
The reason for this may be as diverse as those
schoolboy essays but I suggest that the main one is the lack of a title.
Simple really write 500 words .... no can do. But describe in 200
words or less your childhood aversion to broccoli and other brassicas and
suddenly the cap is off Vesuvius and the 200 word limit seems very parsimonious
indeed. You have barely done justice to the gorge rising splendour
of the humble vegetable when the limit expires and yet no mention of its
equally repulsive cousins. How unfair. Try this them. Write twenty
words. Sure. No problemo........... what about ? Well there you have it.
That is exactly my point. Before
you start you need to know something, anything,
even the merest hint about your proposed dissertation, otherwise you are
doomed from the outset.
So does that explain the monthly torture that
is getting a few words from a normally effusive and expansive prat ? Probably
not; but it fills a gap. A bit like broccoli really.
Ian McGirr, MPSI,
Carnew
***
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS REPORT
The interest in Pet Promotions is keeping us exercised
at present as is the legislation issue. We were informed at a meeting
of the Irish Medicine Board that there are two products int he POM(E) category
Dallophyline and Dopram V. A recent meeting has now included Mycophyt
in this category and this is a major breakthrough
in terms of recognising the category. We will continue our struggle
as the intramammaries and vaccines have yet to be classified and there
is a lot to play for with these two categories.
***
The Department of Agriculture held a meeting to discuss
the current regulations which was attended by all the interested parties
and our proposal as submitted by the APHA committee was discussed at that
meeting. The veterinary representatives favour a "flock/herd health"
type proposal which would recognise the relationship
between the vet and the client farmer. The details have yet to be
spelled out so that meeting was not in a position to evaluate that proposal.
The comment from the Department of Agriculture at the end of the meeting
was to utilise the regulations to the maximum
which sounded to me like encouraging the use of POM(E)
***
As persistent scours and mastitis arise perhaps members
might encourage customers to have laboratory testing done to identify the
cause of the infection with a view to recommending the appropriate vaccine
for next season.
***
I attended the launch of Equest recently and was
intrigued to hear that it has increased the sales of horse wormers by 30%
in the US. Equest is a moxidectin oral gel, which seems to be particularly
effective against developing cyathastomes (small strongyle) larvae - due
to its lipoplylic nature.
***
I am pleased that Boileau & Boyd now include
pedigree rasks in their petcare range. Peter Lynch when delivering
the Companion Animal course referred to the need for dental treatment
for dogs and how rasks help to clear the plaque from dog's teeth.
***
EPOS
Recognising the importance of developing an effective
EPOS system - it is necessary to record all incoming and outgoing transactions
for veterinary medicines - the Pharmachem Committee met last July with
the three vendors in the market at that time: McLernons, Systems Solutions
and Shadow Systems (Fergal Leahy). The two former systems are DOS
based and both promised to include a veterinary module. The Shadows
System is a Windows application, capable of veterinary purchases/sales
tracking, but was not available coutrywide. We decided to wait for
the launch of Aegis before recommending a system. There are now a
further six potential vendors. Members are advised to wait for the
IPU/Aegis recommendations before purchasing a system. All the vendors
have received the veterinary specifications. Insist that whatever
system you decide on has full veterinary functionality.
***
PET PROMOTIONS IDENTIFY
A RAPIDLY EXPANDING GROWTH AREA
There is a significant growth in interest among our
members in the Companion Animal Market and to reflect that Pharmachem now
has a range of marketing products.
1. The Pharmachem Small Animal Promotion:
This document identifies a series
of steps which have been used to raise the profile of the pharmacy, its
pet section and increase sales from that section. By using this vehicle
quite a number of new customers can be brought in and hopefully
even retained as customers. Towns with populations of 3000
+ are being seen as suitable locations.
2. Display Material
(a) Pharmachem has purchased some '30"
Old English Sheep Dog' which can add to a window - details from Yvonne.
(b) There is a huge flea which might suit
large towns.
3. The Pharmachem Small Animal Stand
This continues to draw attention and can
be borowed as part of a
promotion .
4. Pharmachem Small Animal Product Range
Pharmachem Equine Product Range
Pharmachem Small Animal Equipment and Treat
Range
Pharmachem Pigeon Product Range.
5. Pharmachem Companion Animal Course
Videos: Fleas in Pets
Worms in Pets
Some members are planning to run videos
in store.
It would be very desirable that at least one
pharmacy in every town would have a pet corner.
If you are on our list of promotions planned,
please confirm with Rory your target date.
***
PET FOOD
Dog food and dog care market was worth approximately
£850 million in the UK last year and the cat food and cat care market
worth £700 million. Consumer demand is moving towards dry food.
For pharmacists with premises that suit this market the ability to give
advice is
valuable. The niche products which the
supermarket is likely to overlook e.g. low calorie food, exotic food, food
with dental hygiene properties or products oriented towards animals of
a certain age or with particular lifestyles will still be profitable.
Pet treats are expected to show
considerable growth (perhaps even luxury treats).
Take away dog pizzas and birthday treats have begun to move in London
and one Irish pharmacist sold out early all his dog Xmas stockings.
BUDGIES
The Irish association has asked for products
to be carried by one outlet and this is being investigated.
***
PHARMACHEM
GOLF OUTING
DATE:
4th May 1999
TEE TIME:
3.00pm
SPONSOR:
Bayer Ltd
Cost: £55.00 Green fees and meal
Limited number of places available. Places can
be reserved by forwarding
a cheque to Yvonne Reville on a first come first
served basis.
***
PIG MEAT PRODUCTION
The cost of removing antibiotic growth promoters
A recent article in the Farmers Monthly outlined an interesting situation
in Sweden where antibiotic growth promoters were banned twelve years ago
and tough a nimal welfare standards were set. Danish pork is up to
30% cheaper and prices remain low. The evidence is that in Sweden
post weaning scours doubled in number
and are difficult to control, pigs take five
days longer to reach 25Kg and feed consumption is 2Kg higher. Lactation
times increased by a day, pigs per sow fell by 0.3% and mortality levels
increased by almost 2%.
The farmers then had to resort to prescribed
medicated feeds (80% of pigs) and there were high levels of use of antibiotics
for therapeutic purposes.
Zinc oxide was still allowed to be used as a
feed additive and was widely used to combat post weaning scours until this
year. Due to pressure from consumer groups and environmentalists
(fearing heavy metal contamination) it is now only available on prescription.
There is little evidence that consumers are willing to pay much more than
lip-service to supporting high welfare swedish pork, guaranteed free of
antibiotic residues and salmonella.
Pig meat production has increased by 7% but demand
has risen by 21% as consumers turn to cheaper less welfare friendly pork
and bacon imported from other EU member states.
***
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