Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vets First Choice?
Vets First Choice is an online store and home delivery service that connects seamlessly with YOUR web site. It lets your clients order the products you recommend from you – without increasing your inventory space or costs. Quite simply: it offers greater compliance and helps ensure the health of your patients.
Vets First Choice is YOUR online store – from the way it looks, to the products you offer and the prices you set.
For an automated demo of the site, please visit www.VetsFirstChoice.com and click “VIEW DEMO.” Schedule a “guided tour” of the site by calling 888.280.2221 (tours scheduled on a first come, first served basis).
What makes Vets First Choice unique among other online stores?
- Veterinarian dedicated.
- Client experience developed by veterinarians.
- Automated shipments on maintenance prescriptions.
- Direct relationships with manufacturers keep prices competitive.
- The online store is customized to look and feel like veterinarian’s existing website.
- No monthly or annual fees.
- No hidden costs.
- Total client list security is ensured.
- Increases both client compliance and clinic revenue.
- Veterinarian is notified of all transactions; funds from the sales are deposited directly in the veterinarian’s own account.
How can Vets First Choice benefit my clinic?
Vets First Choice offers you a way to expand your product offerings to your clients without increasing your in-clinic inventory. That saves you ordering, receiving and stocking time; it saves inventory space, and lets you allocate inventory dollars for other practice needs. A smaller, in-clinic inventory is also easier to manage and control.
Vets First Choice gives you more time to focus on what you do best – practice medicine. And that’s also good for the health of your clinic. We’ll provide you with ample materials to help you get the word out to your clients about your Vets First Choice online store.
How can Vets First Choice benefit my clients?
Vets First Choice gives your clients 24/7 access to the exact medications and products you recommend for their pets. Home delivery and the option of automated refills can increase compliance with your recommendations. Greater compliance can lead to healthier pets.
There is no minimum-per-order requirement for your clients; and your clinic does not have to meet any minimum requirements to use Vets First Choice. Individual client orders can even be per tablet or pill or per dose – whatever you prescribe.
Your clients can place orders with Vets First Choice online or via phone. All orders receive a confirmation email (it will be an automated email coming from your clinic). Support is available should your clients need assistance placing an order. (In fact, that same support is also available to you.) Vets First Choice will handle any issues with product delivery and make arrangements for any customer returns. All returns will need your authorization; we’ll make any such requests via email.
Clients set up to receive automated refills will receive an email notification several days prior to processing. No other action – by you or the client – is required; refills ship like clockwork. Your client can cancel or stop any automated refill at any time before the order ships. You will be notified via email if a client cancels any order.
What types of products will I be able to offer my clients?
You can offer a vast array of products to your clients – from prescription medications to maintenance and grooming products – and coming soon, premium and specialty diet products. The current product list includes thousands of companion animal and equine products; large animal products will be added in the summer of 2007.
Current product categories include:
|
|
|
We will be able to offer prescriptions as small as individual doses (single pills) on many medications; some products will still carry the manufacturer “minimum” (card). For information on a specific product or sizing options, please contact us at 888.280.2221.
Will I be able to offer my clients prescription medications online?
You can offer your clients prescription medications and do so with complete confidence that Vets First Choice ensures the veterinarian-client-patient relationship. With Vets First Choice, you can write, store and authorize prescriptions and refills for your clients; then your clients simply order the medications through your clinic’s web site. You can set up automatic prescription refills at the time you prepare the prescription, thus saving you and your staff some additional time and paperwork. Giving your clients easy ordering and delivery access to the medications you recommend can significantly increase client compliance and improve pet health.
Who will set the prices?
You set the prices for all the products in your online store. We’ll provide you with sample pricing models including suggested retail price, cost plus a percentage, or cost plus a specific dollar amount. You select the type of pricing (one model or a combination of models) that is appropriate for your clinic.
Prices are automatically updated nightly on Vets First Choice so as to reflect current supply costs. If you have chosen a mark up amount or percentage mark up value, the system will automatically update the pricing on your online store accordingly.
Will manufacturer promotions be available through Vets First Choice?
Yes, manufacturer promotions will be available through Vets First Choice. The veterinarian’s manufacturer representatives receive full credit for orders placed through the veterinarian’s online store – just the same as the credit they receive for all clinic orders placed directly with PVP.
Veterinarians will also be able to honor manufacturer rebate coupons on purchases their clients make through the clinic’s online store. This will work like most online stores where the client will be prompted to enter coupon or promotions codes during the ordering process.
What will the prescription medication look like to my client? Will it have
my clinic’s label?
The packaging will be the same or very similar to the packaging on medications your client receives directly from you – in fact, they are purchasing the medication from you; we’re simply delivering it to your client on your behalf.
All prescription labels include:
- your name, clinic name and phone
- client’s name, address and phone
- your instructions
As a reminder: The veterinarian has the option of changing the price of the prescription and/or adding a pharmacy fee charge at the time the order is approved.
Will I know what my clients ordered and when they ordered it?
Vets First Choice generates an automated monthly report that provides you with details on all purchases made through your web site. You can also select from a number of automated notifications, such as receiving an email if an order or refill is cancelled. You can view a report on your clients’ orders at any time, at your convenience.
All client information is kept secure and confidential. We will not sell or use your client information outside of our support for your online store.
Who pays for the products? And how?
Clients pay for product at your, the veterinarian’s, retail price. You set that price. The client also pays for shipping. The client’s payment (via credit card) is deposited into the veterinarian’s designated checking or savings account. (We recommend opening a separate account for your Vets First Choice transactions.) The funds to cover the veterinarian’s cost associated with that purchase are automatically withdrawn and transferred to Professional Veterinary Products.
What about sales tax?
Vets First Choice follows all applicable state tax laws. Our automated sales tax system (one of the most reliable programs available) verifies and adds the appropriate sales tax to all your clients’ Vets First Choice orders. Every state has different regulations; for specific details on sales tax, please contact the PVP Finance Department, 800.228.0077, option 3 (ask for Shannon Carroll at x5261, Dawna Hall at x5334, or Deb Moss at x5229).
Illinois sales tax information
Are there other charges?
Vets First Choice charges the veterinarian a 15% per order transaction fee for orders processed through Vets First Choice. The 15% fee applies to the veterinarian’s cost of products, not to the veterinarian’s retail selling price of products; also, the shipping charge and sales tax are NOT included in this 15% transaction fee. Vets First Choice does not charge the veterinarian a fee for pharmacy services to label and package Rx items sold through Vets First Choice. The veterinarian, however, can choose to charge a pharmacy fee to clients. An administrative tool available through the site allows the veterinarian to customize the pharmacy fee on a per order or per client basis, if so desired.
Professional Veterinary Products has no upfront charges to create a Vets First Choice store, nor are there any monthly maintenance fees charged by Vets First Choice.
Why do I need a (another) merchant ID number?
All client purchases from the clinic’s online store are via credit card. Part of the process of creating a Vets First Choice store on the clinic’s website is that the veterinarian is required to set up a merchant ID # with First National Bank of Omaha (FNB), Vets First Choice’s bank of record. This merchant ID # allows FNB to know which veterinary clinic the client’s credit card monies belong to. The FNB merchant ID # can be tied to any of the veterinarian’s checking or savings accounts, though it is recommended that a separate account be opened to handle the clinic’s Vets First Choice transactions.
FNB charges “traditional and usual” credit card-related fees for a merchant ID #. We have negotiated what we consider a great rate for these “usual” fees, though we encourage you to discuss these fees and any questions in regards to these fees directly with the bank when setting up your merchant ID #.
The FNB Merchant Questionnaire form (in the enrollment packet) is used to initiate the process of setting up a FNB merchant ID #. Once we receive your completed form, it is forwarded to FNB who will contact the veterinarian directly to complete the set up.
A new FNB merchant ID # is required for Visa and MasterCard use. If the clinic already accepts Discover cards and wants to accept Discover cards for online store sales, a second Discover merchant ID # to be used for Vets First Choice transactions will be needed. FNB can request this second Discover merchant ID #, simply check the appropriate box on the FNB Merchant Questionnaire.
If the clinic already accepts American Express cards, NO new merchant ID # is required to process Vets First Choice transactions on this card. If the clinic does not currently accept Discover and/or American Express, but would like to, then the clinic will need to contact those card providers directly to set up the accounts. Please Note: FNB will handle Discover card authorizations associated with your Vets First Choice online store, then those transactions are passed to Discover; it is the veterinarian’s responsibility to work directly with Discover on any charges associated with settling those transactions.
The ACH form is the standard bank form which allows PVP to automatically process the veterinarian’s Vets First Choice bills; this works the same way as most any auto pay function. (We can set up your regular PVP account as an auto pay and you’ll save the time and money associated with writing checks or calling in credit card payments. If you’ve not done so, inquiry about this bill paying service at 800.228.0077, option 3.)
For questions on banking, credit cards, ACH, or merchant ID agreements, please contact the PVP Finance Department, 800.228.0077, option 3 (ask for Vicky Winker at x5312, Diane Winters at x5381, or Patti Bahle at x5207).
What’s required to get started?
Vets First Choice does require you to have a web site, even just a small “home page” site will work. If you need assistance on building a web site, we can provide you with a list of referral consultants. If you have Pet Portals®, you can set up your Vets First Choice online store through that venue.
When you set up your Vets First Choice store, you’ll have the opportunity to determine all aspects of your store:
- The look and feel of the site (select from four template designs and Vets First Choice will match your choice to the colors on your existing web site)
- Pick your products, set your prices
- Determine who on your staff will have access to your “behind-the-scenes” information
Your Product Service Specialist, New Account Specialist, Customer Support Representative – as well as technical support – will be available to help guide you through the entire account set up process.
Where can I get more information?
Learn more about Vets First Choice:
- Call Vets First Choice at 888.280.2221
- • Click www.VetsFirstChoice.com
