I founded Veterinary Prescriber in 2012 to create a source of independent information on veterinary medicines. I had worked as an editor for 20 years on the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin under the Editorships of Dr Andrew Herxheimer and Professor Joe Collier. In pharmacy practice I had already experienced how the independent advice in DTB , and in particular its practical stance, could help in clinical practice. When I joined DTB I saw how editorial arrangements that confer independence (such as carrying no pharmaceutical advertising, and having an independent editorial team) allow the development of unbiased advice that is difficult to find elsewhere. I have a Masters in evidence-based pharmacotherapy and skills in critical appraisal of evidence, in integrating different types of evidence with clinicians' views, and in communicating information in a succinct and practical way. As a pharmacist I have a broad technical and clinical knowledge and an understanding of the practical and regulatory aspects of medicines use. In my early career I worked in hospital pharmacy (as a drug information specialist) and in the pharmaceutical industry (in medical information and sales). Since 2018 I have been a member of the Veterinary Products Committee, an independent multi-disciplinary committee that advises the UK’s veterinary medicines regulator, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

Carl has been a musician most of his life since taking up the trombone aged 7. Progressing through youth orchestra and the Royal Northern College of Music, he ended up composing two symphonies as well as conducting choirs and orchestras the length and breadth of the country, including a stint with the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic in the Czech Republic. Carl was one of the very early adopters of new technology and multimedia presentation and performance. He has spent over 20 years teaching composition and music technology at some of the country's oldest and most prestigious academic institutions. It is this creative, multimedia approach that Carl brings to Veterinary Prescriber. He works on the website, the multimedia content design, and project manages all the coding and development. His experience in designing syllabuses and constructing schemes of work for various music courses has come in very handy for developing a systematic approach to creating Veterinary Prescriber's CPD modules.

I qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 2005 and practised as a first opinion veterinary surgeon before completing a PhD in immunology at the University of Sheffield. I spent several years working as a post-doctoral researcher in biomedical sciences, before returning to the veterinary world as a post-doctoral researcher at Nottingham Veterinary School within the Centre for Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine (CEVM). Whilst at the CEVM I underwent training in literature searching and critical appraisal, was involved in many research projects, as well as teaching final year undergraduates the principles of EBVM.

At the CEVM I was involved in developing BestBETs for Vets, an on-line resource of short evidence summaries for practitioners. I author and publish BestBETs both on the website and open access in the Veterinary Record, a process which has helped to develop excellent skills in structured literature searching for the evidence, critical appraisal and clear written communication of findings. My research experiences include assessing the quality and potential sponsorship bias existing with the veterinary clinical trials literature, qualitative interviewing and systematic reviewing.

I have also developed, reviewed and edited educational materials for CPD on EBVM, contributed materials for the BSAVA Masters in Clinical Veterinary Research and lectured at BSAVA. I am currently working as an independent evidence-based veterinary medicine consultant.

As well as being a pharmacist and acupuncturist, I have been a medical writer and editor for over 30 years. I worked as an editor for 20 of these on the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB), a highly respected independent publication for doctors and pharmacists. For most of that time, DTB was based at Consumers' Association (Which?), which produces independent advice for consumers. While there, I also contributed to Health Which? magazine, wrote the Which? Guide to Complementary Therapies and was an external adviser on the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines and several of its subcommittees. As an editor on DTB, I honed my skills in critical appraisal of evidence and review writing. I have a Masters qualification in complementary therapies research and in producing systematic reviews. My experience includes: working in retail and hospital pharmacy; working as an acupuncturist in the NHS (both hospital and community), private practice and research; and writing and editing for journals, health magazines, health books, advertising, health education, and for a wide range of audiences. Clients have included BBC online, British Medical Journal, British National Formulary, BUPA, Dorling Kindersley, Pharmaceutical Press, the Wellcome Foundation and the World Health Organization. I am currently a senior medical editor at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

I originally trained as a nurse but 17 years ago I switched into the world of medical publishing. I then spent nine years playing a key role in the production and development of Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, a leading source of independent advice on medicines, and Treatment Notes, its sister publication for patients. I have spent the last eight years working as an independent health information specialist and medical writer. I am particularly interested in the clear communication of healthcare-related information to non-specialists. My portfolio is broad, ranging from writing and editing medical information for clinicians and pharmacists, through to the interpretation of complex medical information for patients and lay readers. Clients have included the Department of Health, NHS Trusts, health and social care organisations, pharmaceutical companies, and medical education and communication agencies. My particular skills include writing clear and appropriately targeted information for a wide range of audiences, including lay readers and professionals; rigorous gathering and assessment of health, scientific and clinical information; and translation of technical information into clear language for consumers.

I qualified as a doctor and specialised in Public Health Medicine to consultant level. I have been involved in Evidence Based Medicine, systematic reviewing, critical appraisal and editing since 2000. I have worked with many organisations including the BMJ Evidence Centre (Clinical Evidence, Action Sets, Point of Care/Best Practice), Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, Warwick University, the York Health Economics Consortium, British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, British HIV Association, Crawley hospice, University of Southampton, Sure Start Whitley, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust, UCL, Milton Keynes PCT, the Institute of Education, WHO, the BNF and the Gates Foundation. My particular interests are the collection and analysis of unbiased evidence and clear presentation of information.