On the 18 December 2019 V-Tech Prescriptions Pharmacy – Y55915, was inspected by Mr James Patrick Dheyongera, a senior inspector with South African Pharmacy Council. Mr Dheyongera has more than 20 years experience with manufacturing pharmacy facilities, having dealt with many of the multi-national pharmaceutical companies. He showed great interest in the V-Tech Prescriptions Pharmacy facility and spent considerable time asking questions to understanding the concept of compounded medicine and the nature of the veterinary business.
The inspection focused on GPP, the prospective tutor, the facility and reference books and ensured that all policies and procedures were in place and up to date.
After an extremely thorough and successful 4-hour inspection, Mr Dheyongera awarded V-Tech Prescriptions Pharmacy a high ’A’ grading.
The approval is issued in terms of the Pharmacy Act 53 of 1974 and is valid from the 18th December 2019 until the 31st December 2022.
V-Tech Prescriptions Pharmacy is now approved to train Pharmacist Interns and Pharmacist Assistants in accordance with the provisions of the Pharmacy Act, 1974. This creates an opportunity for both external candidates and V-Tech personnel.
Contact V-Tech at info@v-tech.co.za for more information.
For years vets across Africa have not had access to quality compounded medicine to assist them in practice. In November 2019, after a year of planning, Dr Ian Oberholzer spent time in the V-Tech Midrand facility. The objective being to learn all that V-Tech has to offer practising vets. After days of technical training, in V-Tech Prescriptions Pharmacy, he returned to Windhoek full of ideas and with a wish list and was ready to take our plan forward.
On the 7th of November 2019, at the Namibian Veterinary Congress held in Swakopmund, V-Tech was very proud to finally announce the exciting new joint venture between V-Tech and Novecy Pharmacy. The congress was attended by Dale Parrish and Johan Oosthuyse from V-Tech and Ian Oberholzer and Dwayne Thompson from Novecy. Novecy Pharmacy is based in Windhoek, Namibia, and will extend the V-Tech footprint into Sub-Saharan Africa.
Left to right: Dwayne Thompson, Dale Parrish, Ian Oberholzer and Johan Oosthuyse.
Combining the V-Tech experience, expertise and knowledge with the resources and great service offered by Novecy Pharmacy, V-Tech will now be able to service veterinary clients and their patients outside of South Africa.
The initial range will be limited as the market is being established, and needs and opportunities identified, but the ‘phase 2’ compound list is taking form. V-Tech, together with Novecy Pharmacy, will ensure the future success of veterinary compounding across Africa.
Vets can order their compounded preparations through V-Tech at pharmacist@v-tech.co.za or contact Dale at dale@v-tech.co.za for more information. V-Tech now also has a fully staffed Call Centre, +27 (0) 87 1505925, and the team is ready to support vets within and outside the borders of South Africa.
Renowned BUZZ OFF for horses has been a household name for many years, an essential product for any horse owner. Responding to the consumer request for an effective fly repellent spray registered for dogs, V-Tech extended the claim on the very well-known BUZZ OFF Spray and Gel to now include a claim for dogs.
The recent V-Tech launch
BUZZ OFF is an effective gel and spray-on fly repellent for protection against flies, now also registered for use on dogs.
BUZZ OFF™ Spray and Gel now offer convenient and effective protection against flies. The spray contains two insect-repelling ingredients, cypermethrin and citronella oil.
Cypermethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid used as an insecticide. It behaves as a fast-acting neurotoxin in insects. Citronella Oil naturally repels bugs. BUZZ OFF must not be used on cats.
Common questions and answers:
1. How Can I Keep Flies Off My Dog?
Keeping your dog clean and healthy will go a long way in keeping flies at bay, but there are other steps you can take to get them off your dog’s back, literally. If flies are targeting a specific area on your dog, say his ears, try applying Buzz Off Fly Repellent Spray or Buzz Off Fly Repellent Gel to the area to keep them from biting. Buzz Off – Now registered for use on dogs.
2. How do I control flies in my backyard? Avoiding Attracting Flies
• Keep your yard clean. Flies are attracted to any strong smell; if you eliminate the odours, you’ll drastically reduce the fly population outside your home.
• Cut your lawn often
• Mind your compost bin
• Guard against stagnant water
• Keep fruit and fruit peelings out of your bird feeders
• Use Buzz Off Fly Repellent Spray or Buzz Off Fly Repellent Gel on your dogs and horses to keep them fly free.
3. What well known fly repellent Spray and Gel are both now registered for use on dogs? BUZZ OFF!
Because BUZZ OFF is now registered for dogs and it now also comes in a very handy 250ml spray bottle. Available at your local veterinarian or vet shop.
The BUZZ OFF range includes the following,
BUZZ OFF™ Fly Repellent Spray 250 ml
BUZZ OFF™ Fly Repellent Spray 750 ml
BUZZ OFF™ Fly Repellent Spray 5l refill
BUZZ OFF™ Fly Repellent Gel 400 g
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”, Nelson Mandela.
The V-Tech Foundation aims to enhance or improve the educational conditions of V-Tech’s own employees children, thus creating lifelong friendships and fuelling optimism in a world where daily headlines are filled with awful news. These days optimism is in short supply and the V-Tech Foundation is set to ensure that for these individuals life can get better.
Africa Check has highlighted that the matric pass rate is not a reliable benchmark of education quality in South Africa. One of the problems it obscures is the high dropout rate in the South African schooling system.
South Africa’s education system is in a state of “crisis”. The World Economic Forum claims that the country is at the bottom of the class for the quality of its maths and science education and there are concerns about high drop-out rates in schools with nearly half of all school pupils dropping out long before they can reach their matric year. The drop out can be attributed to economic, social and academic reasons. The dropout rate has had a significant impact. A 2011 report from Basic Education revealed that “60% of youths are left with no qualification at all beyond the Grade 9 level”
The latest numbers from the Department of Basic Education, 9 January 2018, show that 12% of all pupils were repeating a grade in 2015. The department has suggested that this is due to the “inability of many schools to get teaching and learning right and the burden of home background disadvantage”.
The power of education is undeniable across the world, both socially and personally, in both developing and developed countries. It is with this in mind that V-Tech launched the “V-Tech Foundation” to improve or enhance the educational opportunities for our own employees and their children.
SURVIVE AND THRIVE
“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you”, B.B. King.
Education is the key to alleviating global poverty, helping individuals uplift themselves and their families and achieving sustained community transformation.
V-TECH BELIEVES,
That the path out of poverty begins with access to a decent education. The V-Tech Foundation will ensure that especially those with the fewest resources—can access the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life.
V-Tech understands the importance of education and the Foundation is about helping low-income families to get the same opportunities as everyone else.
THE V-TECH FOUNDATION
Only employees earning below a certain income level may benefit from the subsidy awarded by the V-Tech Foundation. The beneficiaries must be direct family of the employee and certain criteria must be met to qualify. The subsidy is reviewed on an annual basis based on the individual submissions and motivations and the progress of the beneficiaries. Funds are paid directly to the institution.
“We have made education the focus of the Foundation because it’s the key to a prosperous future, for both individuals and the country”, says Dr Johan Oosthuyse, V-Tech CEO. “We support early learning, secondary and tertiary institutions including school fees, stationary and books, uniforms and transport to and from school. With the high drop out rate due to many reasons, including economic, social and academic, it is imperative that we support our V-Tech family to help individuals to become agents of change in service to their peers, their families and their communities”. He goes on to say, “Our goal is for all our employee’s children to attend school, complete school and to do well. This will prepare them and equip them to pursue their dreams, making a better life for themselves and their families”.
“The time for change is upon us and we all have a role to play to create and contribute to the country we believe in. I believe everyone has the capability to collaborate and join hands to bring about meaningful change.”Cyril Ramaphosa
As poultry farms deal with the crippling consequences of the avian influenza outbreak, consumers are warned to prepare themselves for higher prices and dwindling egg stocks. WATCH
A total of 92 locations have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu, the Department of Agriculture (DOA), Forestry and Fisheries has confirmed.
The department said in a statement that affected birds are divided into distinct categories, namely, commercial poultry, backyard poultry, ostriches, hobby birds and wild birds. The largest numbers of outbreaks are on commercial farms, with the Western Cape having the highest number of wild bird outbreaks, read a statement.
Limpopo and the Northern Cape have not been affected.
A total of 61 outbreaks have been reported in the Western Cape, 13 in Gauteng, 11 in Mpumalanga, two in the North West, Eastern Cape and the Free State, and one in KwaZulu-Natal.
The first case of HPAI was confirmed in a broiler breeder operation in Mpumalanga in June 2017. Since then a number of other poultry and ostrich operations, as well as wild bird species, hobby birds and backyard chickens have subsequently been infected, read a statement.
“Quarantine, culling and safe disposal of infected chickens and other poultry as soon as possible after detection of infection is the most effective way to eradicate and to stop the spread of disease,” the department said, adding that endangered and rare birds at zoos would be vaccinated and be exempt from culling.
Compensation legislation being drafted
The Provincial Veterinary Services has been tasked with controlling the movement of live commercial chickens in an effort to stop the spread of the disease from one affected property to another.
“A system was introduced to allow for movement of healthy live chickens for purposes other than for slaughter. Provincial Veterinary Services issued health attestations for small-scale farmers and distributors of live chickens and the Poultry Disease Management Agency (PDMA) was authorised by DAFF (Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) to register and keep records of all parties selling and buying live chickens,” read the statement. The department said this was a successful preventative measure for small-scale farmers and backyard breeders.
The department has also worked closely with stakeholders and experts, looking at a vaccination strategy against bird flu as a control measure, but warning of its negative effects on trade.
“[The department] is also working closely with the industry to promote ongoing food security through the importation of fertile broiler hatching eggs, thereby addressing the shortage in the market, while at the same time ensuring that such imports are allowed in a safe manner so as not to jeopardise the health status of our national poultry flock.”
Legislation is currently being drafted with guidelines on compensation of farmers affected by bird flu.
“It is important to note that compensation is at the discretion of the minister and only payable for losses suffered due to the destruction of healthy birds and eggs in an effort to eradicate the disease,” read the statement.
Die hoogs aansteeklike H5N8-voëlgriepvirus is by ʼn lêhenhuis van Sovereign Food Investments gevind. Die maatskappy sê die betrokke plaas is deel van sy breër Uitenhage-bedrywighede. Sowat 5 000 hoenders is van kant gemaak, wat sowat 1% van Uitenhage se produksiepyplyn verteenwoordig. “Sovereign Foods se bestuur doen die gepaste stappe en volg die voorgeskrewe protokols om te keer dat voëlgriep na ander plase versprei.” Die groep se Hartbeespoort-bedrywighede in Gauteng is nie geraak nie.
