[The organizational culture of ten Dutch veterinary practices. Based on the model of competitive value]. / De organisatiecultuur van tien dierenartspraktijken in Nederland. Gebaseerd op het model van de concurrerende waarden.

The aim of this study was to study the organizational culture of ten Dutch veterinary practices. In each practice, two veterinary nurses, two associates and two partners filled out the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument for the current and preferred situation. Results showed that practice culture could be characterised best as the clan culture and, to a lesser extent, an adhocracy culture. The market culture was least prevalent. The family, adhocracy and hierarchy cultures were preferred above the market culture. The difference between current and preferred (i.e. the discrepancy) cultures was highest for the veterinary nurses, followed by the associates and smallest for the partners. Agreement between the three groups was stronger for the preferred situation than for the current situation.

Biofilms: a role in recurrent mastitis infections?

Mastitis remains one the most important diseases in dairy cattle despite the progress made in improving general udder health in recent years. Epidemiological studies have revealed that following treatment with antimicrobials, bacteriological cure rates vary between 0% and 80% but with no evidence of a significant loss of activity of the major classes of antibiotics licensed for the treatment of bovine mastitis. Recurrent infections are often attributable to biofilm growth of bacteria and this review provides an overview of those mechanisms related to bacterial biofilm growth in mastitis. Biofilm formation is accompanied by significant genetic and subsequent physiological changes in the microorganisms resulting, inter alia, in a loss of sensitivity to virtually all classes of antibiotics.

[Maximum residue levels (MRL's) of veterinary medicines in relation to food safety. MRL's really do matter--the Benzaprocpen case]. / Maximale residulimieten (MRL's) van diergeneesmiddelen in relatie tot voedselveiligheid. MRL's doen er daadwerkelijk toe--de Benzaprocpen-casus.

The importance of veterinary medicines and especially of antimicrobial agents is shown, not only as beneficial compounds for animal health and animal welfare but as risks as well, being potential sources of residues in food of animal origin, when after administration of veterinary medicines to the animals the withdrawal time in relation to the maximum residue limit (MRL) is not taken into account. Health for men and animal is of utmost importance and the quality of food is considered as an important health factor. Data are presented from a report, not made public previously, concerning a study dealing with plasma kinetics and forming of residues in young pigs of a long acting penicillin Benzaprocpen, which was formerly used in the Netherlands quite often in piglets with arthritis. Ten weeks after the last injection with these depot compounds at all injection sites penicillin G residues were present in quantities much greater than the allowed maximum residue limit of 50 micrograms/kg for benzylpenicillin. As a consequence it is impossible to use any longer this specific veterinary medicine in food producing animals and thus MRL's do really matter.

A European farmers' view of free trade and risk assessment for veterinary biologicals.

In Europe, farmers request that they be supplied with the right drug in the right place for the right animal at the right price: no more, no less. They are not concerned which country or company produces the veterinary biologicals used. Farmers are advised by the veterinary practitioner, but knowledge of neither the country of manufacture nor the producer determines their choice. This attitude is due to the quality of the pharmaceutical products available. European farmers support free trade and the implementation of scientific risk assessment. In the view of European farmers, the system of equivalent measurement should be adopted: countries may have different systems to check the quality of veterinary products, but the outcome should be the same, i.e. a guarantee of quality, safety and efficacy.

[Veterinary practice and the environment: what to do and what to omit]. / De veterinaire praktijk en het milieu: wat te doen en wat te laten.

A veterinary practice supplies services and goods, both sections involving acts affecting the environment. Until recently, little attention was paid to the environment, but today far more is known concerning the manner in which veterinary practices should handle the environment. Among other things, this paper will be concerned with the groups of various substances which constitute a menace to the environment, the relevant environmental policy as well as the approach to environmental policy in practice and to the function of the veterinary surgeon as distributor of veterinary drugs respectively. Instruction of the users of veterinary drugs as regards storage and exposure to pollution are discussed. Finally, the economic aspects of a modern environmental policy in veterinary practice are referred to.