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Shopping for the lowest price regard-
less of brand or buying multiple brands because doctors in your practice have dif- ferent preferences are two ways hospitals damage their potential for positive ROI, according to James E. Guenther, DVM, MBA, MHA, CVPM, AVA, president of Strategic Veterinary Consulting. “A lot of practices will order the whole
gamut of these things. That’s just tying up too much money,” Guenther says. “Smart practitioners are going to carry one product for the simple reason that clients look to veterinarians for recom- mendations, and veterinarians and their teams have to agree on a product. Sure, carry the different weight classes that you need, but get the product line down to one that you can manage.” Practices can winnow multiple prod-
When used correctly and consistently, parasiticides can prevent long, expensive and, unfortunately, sometimes futile treatment for preventable ailments.
uct lines to one using a dictatorial approach, which may leave some staff members feeling left out, or they can take steps to engage the entire team. Doing the latter may take more time, but it is also more likely to ensure you wind up with a product everyone will endorse. “You may have a practice with mul-
tiple doctors saying, ‘I like this’ and ‘I like that,’” Guenther says. “In that case, be diplomatic. If you’re considering what heartworm medication to carry, for instance, make a list of benefits. Once you have a summary of why one person feels product X is great and another believes product Y is better, put a chart on a board and have the entire staff look at it. “What you’ll likely see is that each takes
care of heartworms—that’s a given. Each is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—that’s a given. Each is beneficial to the pet. In other words, you’re not going to use something that’s made in Siberia, sells for a penny a tablet and you don’t know anything about—that’s a given. Cost-wise, most of these products are about the same. That’s not a big deal. “Your task is to decide if the benefits
provided by one product outweigh those provided by another. Are there fewer reac- tions or less upset stomachs? Is one more palatable? Whatever your key criteria may
be, that is what everyone should look at. Once you have that list, come to a con- sensus of which is the product you will recommend, carry and promote to your clients. Ensure everyone can explain why this is your product of choice.”
2. Advocate with confidence Once you select the best product line
for your practice, do not be shy about sharing the logic behind your choice with clients, even, and perhaps particularly, if you recently switched from one brand to another. “Do the clients know anything about
the difference between product A and product B? No. All they know is that they’re heartworm preventions, if they even know that,” Guenther says. “What it really comes down to is that they’re ask- ing for your opinion. It’s called provid- ing peace of mind. Give them the facts. You’re not trying to cram anything down their throats. If they say they still like a different product, tell them you have an online store or that you’ll be happy to write a prescription. Remind them, how- ever, that a product they purchase else- where doesn’t come with a warranty. If their pet has a reaction, there’s nothing the company can do about it because it wasn’t sold through a veterinarian.”
3. Buy and sell strategically It is no secret that heartworm rates, as
well as those of many other infestations, are increasingly common, given clients’ mobility and propensity for taking pets on their travels. Although some practitio- ners continue to advise seasonal use of preventives, Christopher Carpenter, DVM, MBA, executive director of the Compan- ion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), says year-round protection is the better option. “We’ve been providing guidelines for
the profession for about 10 years, and we do recommend year-round protection,” Carpenter says. “There’re a lot of good scientific reasons for that, but there are also a lot of good practice reasons as well. “I used to practice in Maine,” he adds. “We used to do that seasonal thing,
Trends magazine, November 2012
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