“We’d much rather no-one had to sit an exam.”
AMTRA RAMAs/SQPs who don’t clock-up enough CPD points by the 30 June deadline risk being dropped from the 2026 register, the training and regulatory body has warned.
There are approximately 6,000 AMTRA qualified and registered animal medicines advisors (RAMAs, also known as SQPs), many of whom work in retail settings.
After undertaking training and passing an exam, RAMAs may lawfully dispense certain animal medicines such as equine wormers.
They typically also provide horse owners with guidance on parasite control, including testing, backed up with prescriptions when required.
To maintain their qualification, RAMAs must accrue a set number of CPD points during a two-year period, the current one ending on 30 June, 2025.
CPD points can be gained by reading AMTRA accredited material or attending approved events. ETN publishes AMTRA CPD features each issue to help RAMAs refresh their knowledge and earn their CPD quota.
If they do not reach their CPD target, RAMAs are not included on the 2026 AMTRA SQP register unless they pass an exam.
AMTRA’s Stephen Dawson told ETN:
“While most people have met their minimum CPD requirement, for anyone who has left those last few points until near the 30 June deadline, please do make sure you know your own points target - which may be different from a colleague’s target.
“It’s on every points update AMTRA sends out, or you can see it by logging on to the AMTRA website.
“Anyone who doesn’t earn their required CPD points by 30 June won’t be able to renew their AMTRA registration for 2026, except by sitting and passing an exam to demonstrate ongoing competency.
“We’d much rather no-one had to do that, so please do look around to see what CPD is going to bring most value to you, and get those points completed in plenty of time.”
ETN’s AMTRA accredited CPD features can be found here: www.equestriantradenews.com/category/cpd/
