Veterinary Practice Newsletters

Policy

Veterinary practice newsletters are an important means of transferring information to clients and are to be encouraged as a way of promoting veterinary practices and the veterinary profession. To achieve these objectives, the technical component of practice newsletters should meet a high standard of accuracy and integrity.

Background

1. Newsletters have always been recognised as a valuable form of promotion of individual veterinary practices and, consequently, the veterinary profession as a whole. They are usually well received by clients.
2. If newsletters are sent to other than bona fide clients they are more likely to be seen as advertising. This has legal implications when compared with a newsletter sent only to bona fide clients.
3. Inaccurate or unclear practice newsletter content may be used to denigrate the veterinary profession.
4. The Fair Trading Act and the Code of Professional Conduct for veterinarians require that published information is accurate.
5. Newsletters are considered a vehicle for the transfer of technical information.
6. The Code of Professional Conduct (Section 5) considers that promotion of the profession should:
   1. satisfy a need for information
   2. maintain or enhance the integrity of the practice and the profession
   3. provide information which is accurate, unbiased and not in any way likely to mislead or deceive. Any opinions expressed should be discerning and impartial.
      In promoting their services, veterinarians must act fairly, responsibly, accurately, and in such a way as not to risk the interests of the animal or the owner or jeopardise the reputation of the profession.
7. Section 5 of the Code of Professional Conduct also covers the advertising or endorsement of products and services;
   
   1. Product marketers occasionally seek endorsements or testimonials from individual veterinarians for overt advertising purposes. The value of any such advertisement lies in the use of the word 'veterinarian' and the implied integrity and trustworthiness which accompanies a member of the veterinary profession.
   2. Because the public trust in the veterinary profession may be exploited and damaged by such advertising, individual veterinarians should not be quoted in any overt advertising material for any animal remedy, animal food, veterinary service or equipment used in veterinary procedures.
   3. On the other hand, there may be other occasions when it is in the public interest for a valuable new drug or procedure to be brought to the attention of the public. On such occasions, any endorsement is more properly handled by a collective body which represents the majority of the profession, such as the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
   4. At the individual practice level, practice newsletters and circulars prepared for bona fide clients and which are intended as a means of communication to those clients alone, may be used for comments about animal remedies, animal foods or procedures.
   8. Promotion of a registered veterinary medicine in a newsletter must comply with the current ACVM Labelling Guide for Veterinary Medicines, and with any requirements specified in the product’s registration. Reference to a veterinary medicine when conveying information such as about management of disease, and which is not intended to increase sales of the product, would not be considered to be promotion.
   9. The Code of Professional Conduct (Section 4) spells out the expectations of veterinarians in selling and recommending veterinary medicines. Advertising should not jeopardise the public’s confidence in the scientific integrity and impartiality of the veterinarian, the veterinary practice or the profession.
   10. The Code of Practice for Discretionary Use of Human and Veterinary Medicines specifies the steps to be taken on each occasion of discretionary use. Authors of newsletters should be careful not to breach the conditions specified in this Code.

Guidelines

1. Before publishing original trial data, i.e. data not yet published in a scientific journal, or data from local field trials, consider the Data Evaluation Check List (Appendix 1 to the NZVA policy on Clinical Trials)
2. The practice should hold on file references to the source(s) of material published.
3. Where using trademarks seek permission to use these in advertising, e.g. brand names.
4. If promoting Prescription Animal Remedies in a newsletter, refer to the NZVA Code of Practice for Promotion of Prescription Animal Remedies by Veterinarians and Industry.

Note: Code of Professional Conduct 5.3

The most acceptable method of improving personal and professional reputation is by professional performance. Active promotion of the individual practice by continuing communication between the practice and bona fide clients enables clients to increase their awareness of the range of services offered by a practice and of the role of the veterinarian.

Policy Files: 

1d - Practice Newsletters - Dec09.pdf