Best Practice Accreditation
You may have noticed the signage around the clinic warning you of potential hazards and the extra paperwork you have to fill in when you are prescribed a drug that is not registered as a veterinary product. These are some of the obvious signs of the major review we have undertaken on how we do things.
We have worked hard to become compliant to BESTPRACTICE®
The NZVA BESTPRACTICE® Standards have been established as a mechanism by which the profession can promote and maintain an excellent standard of practice in the treatment of companion animals in New Zealand
We are pleased to announce that we have received Mixed Practice accreditation after an intensive audit.
What is a BESTPRACTICE® Clinic?
A clinic that has achieved the BESTPRACTICE® Accreditation has met the rigorous standards defined by the BESTPRACTICE® Committee of the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
How will I benefit as an animal owner?
The standards are designed to cover all the areas that will ensure that you and your animals get consistently high quality treatment.
The standards cover a range of areas including everything from the way a practice is run and the ongoing training of staff, to record keeping, and storage, prescribing and dispensing of medicines. As a responsible and caring animal owner you need to know that the veterinary practice you choose meets the highest industry standards.
How will BESTPRACTICE® benefit my animals?
The standards cover a range of areas including everything from the way a practice is run and the ongoing training of staff, to record keeping, storage, prescribing and dispensing of medicines. As a responsible animal owner you need to know that the veterinary practice you choose meets the highest industry standards.
What does a clinic have to do to become accredited?
A participating practice is required to meet all components that make up the BESTPRACTICE® standards. The areas that are covered include:
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24 hour service
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Personnel
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Communication
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Premises
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Equipment and facilities
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Storage, prescription and dispensing of medicines
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Diagnostic services
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Safety
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Waste disposal
At an NZVA Accredited Clinic you will find:
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Care: staff who care about your business and your animals
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Training: qualified and competent veterinarians who are trained and experienced in veterinary medicine, surgery, animal health and welfare and farm advisory services
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professionally trained veterinary nurses and/or technicians
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an accredited clinic has staff that are continually learning, improving and developing. The standards ensure that they have access to up to date materials and have the time to undertake ongoing professional development
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Comfort: a comfortable, secure and safe environment for owners, patients and staff at the clinic hospital
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Information: well organised data storage systems to allow for ease of updating and access to your animals' health records
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Safety for farm animals: clear labelling and appropriate packaging of all dispensed items so that you know exactly how and when to medicate your animals and the witholding periods that must be observed
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Service:
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well-presented and trained staff
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the right number of staff to provide excellent service, care and attention for your animals
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24-hour emergency service
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Systems in place to assist in meeting Best On-Farm Practice and all MAF animal health standards
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Facilities: modern, well-maintained facilities and equipment
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Medicines: a wide range of veterinary medicines will be readily available and these will be stored and dispensed according to manufacturers instructions
How do I know that the clinic's standards will be maintained?
A clinic must pass an audit inspection before achieving accreditation. Accredited clinics have to apply to be audited every two years and have to meet the standards set before they receive the accreditation again.
Independent trained veterinary auditors carry out these inspections. The inspections are carried out on a regular basis to ensure that clinics remain true to the BESTPRACTICE® standards set by the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
If you have persevered and read all of this, you can tell that this is an accreditation that we are really proud of.
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