VETTECH U 2024 / HOUSTON, TX
LEVERAGING E-COMMERCE TO ENHANCE THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE AND PRACTICE GROWTH ERIC GARCIA, SIMPLY DONE TECH SOLUTIONS, TAMPA, FLORIDA, USA
Sponsored by
SUNDAY AM • SEPTEMBER 22 7:00 – 7:50 AM
For the past decade, online pharmacies have grown in popularity, integrating seamlessly with veterinary practices. This trend has only expanded in the wake of COVID-19. With quarantine and social distancing measures in place, veterinarians across the globe have had to devise creative and innovative solutions for their clients, such as contactless delivery, curbside pickup, and personalized telehealth appointments.
The convenience of online shopping has become a staple in everyday life. Subscription services ensure I never run out of my preferred daily vitamins or household items. Similarly, my veterinary practice’s online service means monthly deliveries of pet food are just a click away. Even if I occasionally end up with too much, adjusting my delivery preferences is simple. This level of convenience—knowing I have essential items regularly squared away—is invaluable. IMPLEMENTING YOUR ONLINE PHARMACY Your online pharmacy can integrate with your management software, providing your clients with a digital prescription that can only be used through your online pharmacy. This system automates requests and prescriptions for your clients, ensuring a seamless process. All the moving parts—delivery, technology upkeep, warehouse, staffing costs—are built into this system and pricing. While it may cost more to sell some items from your online store than directly from your distributor, you eliminate extra operating costs and headaches. It’s systems like these that make online pharmacies and services like Chewy and 1-800-PetMeds so successful. Your clients will appreciate the simplification of their pet care needs. When we consider our own shopping habits and what draws us to purchase a product or service online, we can’t fault our clients for demanding the conveniences that other online stores regularly provide. TAKING THE NEXT STEPS If your practice is still looking for a sign to create an online pharmacy, this is it. Even as we begin the process of returning to business as normal, online shopping and its conveniences are here to stay and will continue to grow.
But even before COVID and the rush to go remote, the need for veterinary practices to move online had been a long time coming.
When the growing competition in the online veterinary pharmacy space first emerged, the predominant concern was the constant presence of 1-800-PetMeds. Today, we see Chewy, Fosters and Smith, and even Walmart rapidly moving into this landscape. This isn't to say we should view these businesses as adversaries. In fact, there’s a lot we can learn from their business models if we’re willing to look at what makes them so successful. UNDERSTANDING THE COMPETITIVE EDGE: CONVENIENCE Competing with online pharmacies isn’t just about offering the cheapest product or the best value—although these are important factors for consumers. At the end of the day, it all comes down to one thing: convenience. In this era of quarantine and physical distancing, the demand for online shopping has soared to the point where retailers have been overwhelmed by the influx of requests. Major players like Amazon have had to hire thousands more workers to keep up. This increase in demand presents a golden opportunity for online pharmacies to establish themselves.
SEPTEMBER 20-22, 2024 | PROCEEDINGS | VETGIRLONTHERUN.COM
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