The medicine book is handled through the supplies folder of the InterBeef Main Menu.
Note that although this description refers to medicines, the facility can also be used to manage other supplies used on farm such as semen, ear tags, disinfectants etc.
There are three key tasks to complete when establishing a medicine in the medicine book. These are:
Once these basics are in place you concentrate on recording the medicine's use by specific animals. The program automatically maintains the stock level and can warn when stock levels fall below required levels.
On the first occasion that a supplier is used he/she should be registered so that the origin of all medicines and supplies can be accurately traced and accounted for. The supplier details form is displayed via the Reference lists folder of the Main Menu:
This will display the Supplier details form. The first time you open the form there will be no existing suppliers so the form will be empty. Move to the empty Code text box and enter a code of up to 10 letters to refer to the supplier (QUELCH in this example). Then fill in the available details:
Click the save button () to
register the supplier whose code will appear in the Select code dropdown box. To
enter another supplier click the new button(
), allocate a code, complete the
details then save. You can review (and if necessary edit) an existing supplier
by selecting the appropriate code to display the record.
Recording the use of medicines/supplies on the farm is achieved through the Supplies, stock levels and history form.
This displays medicines and supplies already registered.
Your data file may already contain a list of supplies. If there are items that you never use they can be deleted by clicking the supply so that it turns red (selected) and then pressing the Delete key.
If the medicine you want to register is not in the list then either scroll
down the grid or click the new button to
position the pointer on the empty row at the bottom of the grid. Then allocate a
code and enter the items mentioned below:
Stock control of a medicine/supplyEvery medicine/supply is registered with a code of up to 10 characters which will be used elsewhere to refer to that drug. A full name is given in the description field. Each medicine/supply is also allocated to a category. In the above example there are only four (antibiotics, general drugs, semen and vaccines). but you can define as many as you like via the Define menu item. You can limit the supplies displayed in the grid by unticking the check box in Supply categories included. The Unit refers to the unit of measure. If a medicine is administered to the animals in ml then ml should be the unit (rather than bottles). W/D meat is the statutory withdrawal period associated with that medicine. Unit price refers to the price per defined unit of the medicine/supply.
Entering the Stock normal, Stock re-order and Re-order units activate the stock control. The Stock normal is the target number of units that you aim to maintain. When the stock level falls to the value specified in Stock re-order an order for additional supplies is generated. The order will be made for the number of units specified in Re-order units. The order can be displayed, amended and printed via the Re-order supplies menu item.
Note that you are unable to enter any number in the current stock column of the grid. This can only be altered via the Stock control.
The supplies grid also contains a
column titled Current stock. This will contain a value if stock has been
recorded against that medicine/supply. Make sure that you have selected the
medicine in the grid whose stock you wish to register then click the
button (alternatively click the medicine required with the right mouse button
and select Stock control from the pop-up menu). This displays the stock control
details of the selected medicine directly under the row detailing the medicine.
In the example below the BLACKV supply is selected and its empty stock history
grid displayed:
Newly purchased supplies should be entered in the left hand side of the grid (as far as supplier code). Any existing supplies that are not yet registered should also be included (as opening balance). Note that the right hand side of the grid has a yellow back ground (Group, Animal ID etc). These columns will detail the usage of the medicine including when and to which animals the medicine is administered.
As the new supplies are entered, note that the Current stock column on the right hand side of the grid is adjusted to reflect the change. Note also that the supplier code column is a dropdown box containing all the codes of the suppliers you have entered (as described above). The batch code and expiry date of each consignment of the medicine/supply should be detailed separately. Hence, in the example above there are two stock entries. An opening balance for registering 25ml (batch RG5688, expiry 1/9/01) obtained from supplier QUELCH followed by a purchase on 15/2/01 of an additional 100ml from supplier VALE (batch RX4498, expiry 1/9/01).
To close the stock history form click on the supply details form behind. Note the new value in the Current stock row of the grid.
Once the medicine is registered and its stock level established, then its usage can be recorded. Medicines administered to individual animals are recorded as an event describing the reason for their use. There are two principal methods for entering events and their associated medicines in an individual animal's record. These are the Event Pad and the Individual Animal record.
The Event Pad:
The Event Pad is ideal for rapid recording of data from lists delivered from the farm. After vaccinating a list of animals you can enter the details rapidly in to the one form. You enter the date of vaccination. Select the event code relating to vaccination (VACC) from the list of events offered. Select the animal concerned.
All events have possible results which can be defined by the user (see Event definitions). In the example above Blackleg is the result selected. The operator who administered the vaccine is also entered (to define the possible operators see Operators). At the bottom of the form appears the supplies grid where you enter the details of the supply administered. In the above example 2 ml of the BLACKLEGV vaccine was administered from batch RX449 which was supplies by VALE.
To register the use click the save button ().
The individual animal record:
The use of a medicine/supply can also be entered directly in the animal's individual record. To display the animal's record select.Animal records from the Main menu:
Select the animal required from the dropdown list of animal
identities. Select the Parity data and events tab and then click the
button to display the event history grid. Enter the event and its associated
medicine in to the grid.
After entering the drug use via the Event Pad or Animal Record,
go back to the "Supplies, stock level and history" Form, select the
BLACKLEGV code and click the
button to display the stock history.
Note that details of the use now appears in the right hand side of the stock history grid. The details of the animal treated, quantity and batch are all included. Note also that the stock balance is also adjusted to take account of the quantity used.
While all supplies are registered as described above (Registering the medicine (Supply)), the use of some (e.g.mineral supplements added to the mixer wagon, disinfectants etc) cannot be registered against an individual animal. Their use should be recorded against the herd or a group of animals via the Herd supply records screen.
Once entered, this usage of stocks will also be reflected in the figure for current stocks for that item provided in the "Supplies, stock level and history" Form.
The Re-order supplies form will contain details of any supply in the list whose stock level has fallen to or below the Re-order value.
The Quantity ordered value will be that specified as Re-order units in the "Supplies, stock level and history" Form. The form can be printed, if required, to take or send to the supplier.
Once the required items are received their details (plus that of any supply detailed in the "Supplies, stock level and history" Form) can be entered directly in to the re-order form. The supplier, batch number and expiry date can all be entered directly. Note in the example below that the same drug is entered twice to account for different batch numbers. The terramycin spray was not on the re-order list but was purchased and is being entered via this list. It would only be necessary to open the "Supplies, stock level and history" Form if a supply was purchased that needs to be registered for the first time (ie it does not have a reference code such as AUTOWORMFG).
When saved (), the
purchased items detailed in the re-order form are added to the stock history.
They will not appear in the re-order form when next displayed.
The reports required for NOAH purposes are the Medicines Register and the Purchase of Medicines. These can be found under the Lists and Reports...Administrative reports folder.
Note that the Medicines Register records every use of medicine
recorded, animal by animal. By clicking the
button it is possible to view an
analysis of this medicine usage by month in either physical or financial terms.
Return to the details list by clicking the
button.
The Purchase of medicines form displays all purchased medicines within
a specified period. Specify the period and then click the
button to populate the form: