New RAMA representatives welcomed to the AMTRA council

Four new animal medicines advisor representatives elected on to AMTRA council following online and postal ballot

Four new Registered Animal Medicines Advisor (RAMA) representatives and one returning member have taken their seat on the AMTRA council following the online and postal ballot earlier this year. Sarah Brooks, Stella Kendall, Dawn Prime and Cara Baillie join Andrew Pattison who returns for a second term, as council members, advising the AMTRA board and secretariat as the authority continues its on-going awareness campaign.

Ahead of the ballot, AMTRA received the highest ever number of nominations wishing to be considered for election, with an extremely strong line-up of candidates.

Stephen Dawson, secretary general of AMTRA explains, “The significant number of nominees demonstrates the genuine desire from the community of RAMAs, or SQPs, to get involved in the work of AMTRA including raising awareness of the role of the animal medicines advisor.

“The AMTRA council is intended to be broad in its representation and input. It is inclusive and the fact that all RAMA representatives are elected by their fellow peers adds further credence to the important role the council plays in advising on future strategy.”

Andrew Pattison sits his second term on the AMTRA council as farm animal RAMA representative, and is a familiar face to many over a 30-year career as farm-centre manager at RM Jones in Herefordshire.

Sarah Brooks, winner of Farm SQP of the year at the National SQP Awards and the animal health training & campaign manager with Wynnstay, joins the council also as farm animal RAMA representative, and is joined by Pets at Home’s Stella Kendall who will represent the companion animal sector.

Cara Baillie of Loch Leven Equine practice takes her seat on the council as Equine RAMA representative, and finally Dawn Prime, a multiple award winner and senior animal nursing assistant at Wherry Veterinary Practice on the Norfolk and Suffolk border, makes up the council representatives.

The five representatives are on council in part for their personal expertise, but to also act as a conduit for views from the full RAMA population. RAMAs with new ideas for AMTRA, or indeed any concerns, in addition to raising them directly with the AMTRA office, should also consider discussing them with their representatives on council.