{"id":7007,"date":"2020-02-01T00:00:58","date_gmt":"2020-02-01T08:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=7007"},"modified":"2022-06-15T17:45:17","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T17:45:17","slug":"rise-to-the-occasion-with-preventives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/rise-to-the-occasion-with-preventives\/","title":{"rendered":"Rise to the Occasion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why is it that after you spend time educating pet owners about fleas, ticks and heartworms and then recommending one or more preventives, the client either leaves without making a purchase or buys a six-month supply and then goes online or to a big-box retailer for refills? Where is the message breaking down? What can you do to improve client adherence to your recommendations and get pet owners to purchase from your hospital?<\/p>\n

For starters, know that you are not alone. Many clients fail to purchase 12 months of prevention even though veterinary teams are consistent with recommending a year\u2019s supply. On average, dog owners purchase only 26 weeks, or six months, of flea and tick preventives. According to studies done by Dr. Robert P. Lavan, only 13% of your clients purchase a full 12 months of coverage.<\/p>\n

Knowing that you are \u201cnormal\u201d can be nice, but it doesn\u2019t mean having to accept the parasiticide profit center report as \u201cthe way it has to be.\u201d When a veterinary practice wants to improve the numbers, a few key steps can be taken.<\/p>\n

Where Do You Stand?<\/h3>\n

First, know the status of your profit center in regard to flea<\/a>, tick<\/a> and heartworm<\/a> (F\/T\/HW) preventives. After all, you can\u2019t monitor what you don\u2019t measure. F\/T\/HW should be a profit center listed separately from the pharmacy in your practice information management system and in your financial programs, such as QuickBooks.<\/p>\n

Benchmark the numbers to previous years and industry averages. For example, the American Animal Hospital Association\u2019s \u201cProductivity and Financial Pulsepoints, 10th Edition\u201d gives data on F\/T\/HW revenue as a percentage of total revenue (10.9% average), expense as a percentage of revenue (5.4% average), and the revenue-to-expense ratio (1.9 average). These metrics are an essential starting point, so know what is going on in inventory management and know that the numbers you are looking at are accurate. You may discover incorrect charging for preventives, such as a \u201c1\u201d being used for a single dose and a three-pack. Inventory counts may be off due to inaccurate data entry. Mistakes happen, and there is no point in tackling client purchases if the numbers you are using are inaccurate.<\/p>\n

Next, audit your medical records. How many clients requested prescriptions so that they could buy from an online pharmacy? How many made an initial purchase from you and are now past due for the next dosing? How many declined a recommendation that they purchase a preventive?<\/p>\n

This is where you might find that documentation is lacking. Some veterinary practices establish a code in their PIMS for online script requests and declines. Producing a report that assesses the frequency of requests and declines is easy. Utilizing the PIMS reminder system helps to track clients who failed to make the next preventive purchase at your hospital. Dig a little deeper and the audit might identify associates who have higher client F\/T\/HW compliance rates than others. Ask those associates what they say or do as a way to teach everyone on the team what works well with clients. This last part, knowing what to say or do, is enhanced when the team is aware of the common barriers to F\/T\/HW compliance.<\/p>\n

Where Do You Lag?<\/h3>\n

The second step in capturing more F\/T\/HW revenue is awareness.\u00a0That is, know the typical barriers. For instance:<\/p>\n