Subscription programs keep pet owners stocked with therapeutic diets. Veterinary practices still profit from food sales and aren’t responsible for maintaining a large inventory.
Originally published by Today’s Veterinary Business in August 2020.
If you haven’t tried it, you might be surprised by what the home delivery of therapeutic diets can do for your clients and clinic. Subscription programs offer pet owners a simple way to be resupplied at their front door, and they generate consistent revenue for practice owners.
“Using an online store allows us access to more pet food options to make recommendations for the individual pet,” said Allen Craig, DVM, the owner of Lebanon Animal Hospital in Lebanon, Tennessee, which has been offering therapeutic diets via home delivery since 2012. “We cannot stock all sizes and formulations of pet foods in-house; it takes up too much space and ties up cash. Online pet food sales take a little time to set up on the front end, but they operate with very little staff time and do not tie up capital moving forward.”
Clinics can offer Royal Canin therapeutic food for home delivery via the Covetrus online pharmacy. Covetrus also provides access to Blue Buffalo, Hill’s and Purina diets.
“When a vet practice decides to establish a digital diets business, Covetrus creates a dedicated online pharmacy with a digital storefront for the hospital,” said Todd Haedrich, chief commercial officer for Covetrus Global Technology Services. “A client accesses this store from the practice’s website or through an email generated by their veterinarian’s recommendation of a product. The buyer can then select the product needed, add it to their cart and submit the order.”
If the food requires a prescription, the order is sent to the veterinarian for approval. Then, the order is transmitted to the manufacturer, where it is processed and shipped to the client.
Why It’s Good for the Clinic
Offering clients the ability to purchase their pets’ food online has five main advantages for clinics.
- Less overhead: Although Hill’s Dr. Kirpensteijn recommends that practices continue to stock some food so that patients can go home with a specific diet when needed, far less product is kept on hand, lowering overhead costs.
- Reduced staff time: Less food stocked means less time spent ordering and maintaining inventory. Also, expired food is less likely to accumulate. “Hospital staff also have more time to focus on patients instead of handling inventory and placing special orders,” Covetrus’ Haedrich said.
- Smaller footprint: Food bags and cans can be bulky, heavy and take up valuable space. “We have examples of practices that migrated the majority of their diet sales to their online store and by doing so were able to create a new exam room in the space freed up by inventory,” Haedrich said.
- Consistent revenue: Home-delivery programs generate regular income for clinics with little to no staff time required, especially when the client opts for auto-delivery.
- Improved compliance: Clinics typically report that clients stick with recommended diets when the switch to home delivery is made. “Blue@Home is proven to provide three times better feeding compliance, with free shipping and the convenience of auto-delivery, allowing veterinarians to feel more confident that their patients are following their diet recommendations,” Dr. Carmella said.
Read the full article here: https://todaysveterinarybusiness.com/special-delivery/