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E- Source An electronic
newsletter highlighting veterinary issues for |
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April 14, 2004 Volume 1, Number 9 |
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In This Issue · Rabies Vaccine Recall · Illinois Department of Revenue Audits of Veterinary Practices · ISMVA Member Survey · Governor Proposes License Fee Increases Category of Links · Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Contact Us |
Recall on
Human Rabies Vaccine Aventis Pasteur has recalled
four lots of IMOVAX rabies vaccine because of a potential public health
threat. During a recent quality assurance test of the inactivated viral
vaccine, the manufacturer detected the presence of live Pitman-Moore virus in
a single lot. The contaminated lot was not distributed, but as a precautionary
measure, four lots produced concurrently were recalled. Those lots were
distributed in the United States from Sept. 23, 2003, to April 2, 2004, and
were numbered X0667-2, X0667-3, W1419-2, and W1419-3. Additional lots were
distributed internationally, and the manufacturer is working with regulatory
authorities to trace those lots. According to the
national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recalled lots passed
all Food and Drug Administration-approved release tests, including testing to
confirm the absence of live virus: "These test results suggest that any
potential risk to those vaccinated with recalled vaccine is likely to be
low." No unusual adverse events associated with the recalled vaccine
have been reported. Health care providers
should contact persons who received recalled vaccine and implement the
precautionary treatment recommended by the manufacturer. The treatment is
outlined on the CDC's Web site, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm53d402a1.htm. Individuals who
have received rabies vaccine between Sept. 23, 2003, and April 2, 2004, should
contact their health care providers to determine whether they were exposed to
recalled vaccine. If necessary, the health care providers will begin
treatment. Vaccine distributors and health care providers who have doses of
the recalled lots should contact Aventis Pasteur
about disposing of them. For information
about the recall, call (800) 835-3587, or visit www.vaccineshoppe.com. The Illinois Department of Public Health recently asked ISVMA to
distribute a memorandum regarding the recall of human rabies vaccine and
recommendations for those that received the recalled vaccine. Please click on the following link to open
up a copy of the memorandum (you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. http://www.isvma.org/vaccination.pdf Audit Sweeps of Veterinary Practices Continue The ISVMA offices
continue to be informed of developing audit practices that have profound
impacts on veterinary practices. The ISVMA was recently contacted by a clinic
that was told by their auditor that veterinary clinics and hospitals had to
pay the difference between the Service Occupation Tax (SOT) rate they were
paying their suppliers and their local SOT rate. For instance, if your local
SOT is 7.50% and your supplier is charging an SOT rate of 6.50%, you would
owe the DOR the 1% difference. The practice owner contacted ISVMA for
assistance and we were able to work through a tax attorney (retired counsel
at the DOR) who contacted the auditor and suggested the practice owner
should also get a credit for taxes he paid to suppliers where the SOT rate
was higher than his local rate. It appears that credit will be applied in
this case. Note: if your supplier
is charging a higher SOT than your local rate, you should request a credit be
applied. It has also come to our attention that some
auditors are trying to apply taxes to certain services. For instance, if you
purchase a vaccine for $5 and then charge $20 to administer the vaccine, you
could open yourself to tax liability if your invoice sets a separately stated
selling price for the product being transferred PLUS the cost of providing the service. In
other words, if you administer the $5 vaccine don’t prepare an invoice that
reads, “Vaccination - $20.” It could
be interpreted that you charged $20 for a $5 product and the auditor could
interpret that you owe sales tax on the difference. It would be more accurate
to prepare an invoice that stated the cost of the vaccine at $5 and the cost
of administering the vaccination at $15. Please Fill Out Your Survey! The current issue of the Epitome includes a
one-page survey and a member application form. We encourage everyone to fill
out the survey and return it to the ISVMA office. The ISVMA Board of
Directors will use the results of the survey to construct a strategic agenda
for the membership. If you are already a member, don’t throw away the
application form! Find someone in your practice or a
neighboring practice that isn’t a member and encourage them to participate in
their state association! The Epitome has been mailed to all members and
member prospects. Who is Affected?
Recently, Governor Rod Blagojevich proposed 200
new fee increases that he has included in the Fiscal Year 2005 budget to
generate approximately $57 million in new revenue for the State of The Illinois Senate Republicans are seeking input from the veterinary profession to determine how certain fee increases will impact on the profession. They have set up a special Internet site where practices can offer feedback on these tax and fee increases. To respond via the Internet, go to www.senategop.state.il.us and click on "Governor Blagojevich's fee increases." Alternatively, you can call to provide feedback at (217) 782-7730. The fees increases that will impact the veterinary profession are:
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