Top AMTRA Students get their just rewards

The top students of the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority manufacturers' examinations for 2000 have been rewarded for their achievements.

The winners were Jacqueline Mayer, of Pfizer Ltd and Mike Squire, of Virbac and runners-up Martin Collins, then of the Veterinary Hospital, Newnham Court, Suzanne McNicholas of Fort Dodge, Steve Meakin of Elanco and Andrew Pryde of Schering Plough. They received their awards from AMTRA Chairman Phil Thomas, at the Annual Conference of the National Office of Animal Health, on 22 October, in a ceremony postponed from April. (Mr Collins was unfortunately unable to be present).

From left to right: Steve Meakin, Mike Squire, Andrew Pryde, Suzanne McNicholas, Jacqueline Mayer, and Professor Phil Thomas. A high resolution version is available here.

AMTRA is an independent regulatory body, whose task is to ensure that the marketing and distribution of animal medicines in the UK is undertaken in a responsible manner, by AMTRA qualified persons. In 1991, to add to manufacturers' own training schemes, the Animal Medicines Sales Staff Register was added to the existing AMTRA register of Agricultural Merchants Suitably Qualified Persons.

Since 1994, registration of sales staff with AMTRA has been a requirement of NOAH membership, and representatives must take the examination within 2 years of joining the industry. To acknowledge the hard work needed to gain the qualification, each year, NOAH sponsors prizes for the highest scoring entrants in the AMTRA Manufacturers' examinations.

The original ceremony, which was due to have taken place at the NOAH Annual Dinner but cancelled due to foot and mouth, would have included presentations to the top students in the AMTRA GSL/Companion Animal Exam, sponsored by the Pet Care Trust. The top student was Elaine Hesselden from CWG: runners up were Sally Goldthorpe and Cathy Cuckow, both from Notcutts. They have already received their awards.

2 November 2001

Notes for Editors

1. For further information contact: NOAH - Roger Cook or Alison Glennon on +44 (0)20 8367 3131, or e-mail noah@noah.co.uk or visit the NOAH website; or AMTRA - Mrs Winn Dawson on +44 (0)1394 411010, or e-mail info@amtra.org.uk or visit the AMTRA website.
2. A photograph of the AMTRA prizewinners with Prof Phil Thomas, Chairman of AMTRA, is available on the NOAH website http://www.noah.co.uk/
3. AMTRA is an independent regulatory body whose task it is to ensure that the distribution of animal medicines in the UK is undertaken in a responsible manner by qualified persons. The board of AMTRA comprises an independent chairman and vice-chairman, two directors appointed by DEFRA, two from NOAH, three from Animal Health Distributors Association and one each from National Farmers Union, Pet Care Trust, British Veterinary Association, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and British Equestrian Trade Association.
4. The National Office of Animal Health was formed on 1 January 1986 to represent the UK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products. The association has 38 corporate members and 11 associate members. In 2000 NOAH's members accounted for around 95% of the £357 million UK animal health market, with additional valuable exports.
5. There are now 4 different AMTRA Registers of Qualified Persons: Agricultural Merchants Suitably Qualified Persons (SQP) Register, Saddlers Suitably Qualified Persons (SQP) Register, Animal Medicine Manufacturers' Sales Staff Register and GSL Companion Animal Medicines Register.
6. PML stands for Pharmacy and Merchants' List: animal medicines that can be supplied to keepers of animals by agricultural merchants whose premises are registered and where the sale is authorised by a suitably qualified person, as well as through pharmacies, or by veterinary surgeons to animals under their care. GSL stands for General Sales List. Medicines classified as such have to undergo the full stringent licensing procedure, but are classified as suitable for selling from any retailer.

Biographical details of the prizewinners

April 2000 examination

Winner Dr Jacqueline Mayer - Pfizer Animal Health
Staffordshire-based, Jacqueline is territory manager for Pfizer Animal Health covering livestock prescription only medicines. Her territory covers North Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and North Staffordshire. Before joining Pfizer, she gained a PhD from the University of Manchester, researching biocontrol of Listeria monocytogenes in silage. The research was sponsored by the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Aberystwyth. She has been interested in agriculture and veterinary practice since she was young and observed small and large animal practice wherever possible. While writing up her thesis she was in charge of rearing ostrich chicks for a breeding flock of over 500 ostriches. In her spare time she walks (especially in the Peak District), runs and takes part in local pub quizzes.

Runner-up (joint) Martin Collins, formerly Newnham Court Veterinary Group
Martin, an Animal Agriculture Honours graduate from Wye College, University of London (now part of Imperial College), is currently based in Dover working for DEFRA as an Animal Health Officer (Portal) for the State Veterinary Service. When he took the examination, he was employed as a Veterinary Assistant and Administrator for the Newnham Court Veterinary Group in Maidstone, Kent. Dover-based, Martin enjoys ornithology and exploring the local countryside.

Runner-up (joint) Suzanne McNicholas, Fort Dodge
Suzanne, based in Towcester, looks after Fort Dodge's Cydectin range, Equest (horse wormer) and horse and cattle fly control products, covering animal health distributors and saddlers in central and south-east England. An honours graduate from Leeds University in Agricultural (Animal) Science, Suzanne spent 10 years as a self-employed contract shepherd on many different farms. During that time she also did a term of office as chairman of the Livestock Section of the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC). As well as her interest in sheep, she enjoys travel (most recently to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands) and her plants and pets: training a baby African Grey Parrot.

September 2000 examination

Winner Mike Squire, Virbac Ltd
Mike Squire, Virbac's Animal Health Product Manager is a Wye honours graduate in Agriculture. After a year working on farms in Australia and Canada, he joined NMR (National Milk Records) and worked there for 5 years in a variety of roles, finishing up as product manager for their laboratory services, responsible for ad hoc milk sample testing and bacteriology. He joined Virbac in 1999, and is now responsible for all of Virbac's PML products for cattle, sheep and pigs. He lives with his partner Sandra near Bury St Edmunds, and his hobbies include restoring a 1956 Series 1 Landrover, visiting antique fairs, swimming and 'cleaning up after his three cats'.

Runner-up Steve Meakin, Elanco
Steve graduated at Newcastle University in Agriculture and worked for MMB/Genus and BOCM Pauls prior to joining Elanco in 1998. He currently manages Elanco's therapeutic & feed additive business for pigs in the North & Midlands (Scottish border down to Lincolnshire in the East & Worcestershire in the West). He also has responsibility for the marketing of the company's pig products in GB & Ireland. His interests include sport (rugby, football, cricket), gardening and attempting DIY.

Runner-up Andrew Pryde, Schering Plough
Andrew is Account Manager within the Livestock Business Unit of Schering Plough Animal Health, responsible for developing sales of their range of livestock animal health products, both POM and PML, in the Midlands territory. Based outside Nottingham now, but formerly from Scotland, Andrew gained his HND in Agriculture at the East of Scotland College of Agriculture. He then spent 5 years in practical dairy herd management, before, in 1991, taking up a sales position with McCaskie Farm Supplies, an animal health and dairy hygiene specialist. He moved from there to Highland Finance (the former Agricultural Asset Finance division of Barclays Mercantile) and after 18 months in 1999 joined Schering Plough. He lives with his partner Lena and baby daughter Iona.