With most people staying home during Covid-19 shutdowns, on-line shopping for medications, pet foods and supplies has exploded. On-line requests for prescription items need a veterinarian’s approval. This takes time away from our doctor’s ability to care for our patients in need. Filling these requests also indirectly places a financial burden on our hospital. We pay our staff to process these requests, at no cost to you. We are asking our clients to please consider how much time it takes to process these requests. Please only order those items absolutely necessary and only when necessary.
How On-Line Requests Affect a Veterinary Hospital
We do not charge our clients for the professional skill and time needed to approve on-line requests. However, it takes a lot of our staffs’ time to process these requests. The doctors spend a substantial part of their day reviewing and approving these requests. Therefore, time spent filling these on-line requests is a direct drain on our resources.
However, we provide this service to our clients because our primary goal is to help you care for your pets. On-line providers can sometimes help clients save money because those large retailers purchase items in bulk. We appreciate that everyone is trying to conserve resources and we want to help. Because we spend an extraordinary amount of time processing these requests, we ask that our clients help us to help you by only ordering what is necessary and ordering only when it is needed.
Our In-Hospital Pharmacy is Continuing to Operate During These Extraordinary Times.
We can take a medication request over the phone from you and directly fill it much faster than we can process an on-line request. You will not even need to enter our building to pick up the medication. We can arrange curbside pickup to help keep you and our staff safe. You and we can also save time when you order through our Vetsource.com on-line pharmacy.
How Much Time is Really Involved Filling On-Line Requests?
When our office staff receives a fax from an on-line provider, they pull the patient’s medical record. Next they log the request into the patient’s digital record. The doctor receives the fax request and patient record, (usually a stack of records). The doctors need to review each patient’s medical history, which in some cases can be quite extensive. The doctor needs to verify that the medication or prescription food is appropriate, that the dosages and dispensing directions are correct. They also need to determine whether refills are appropriate and whether the patient is current with routine care requirements. The doctors record all this information in the patient’s medical record.
Often, at this point, our Board Certified technicians or the doctor themselves need to telephone the client to clarify continuity of care, ongoing response to the medication, incorrect information on the prescription request, etc. It is not uncommon for on-line requests to need modification. The patient’s weight may have changed, medical testing indicated a dosage change, or the medication is not appropriate for long term use.
Being unable to reach a client by telephone on the first try means we take even more time trying to communicate with the client. Once we have all the information we need to confirm an on-line request, the doctor needs write up the medical record with the specifics of the approved medication, dosing, duration, and any approved refills. Finally. when all the ducks are in a row, our staff call the on-line provider and authorize the prescription request.
How Are On-Line Requests Affecting Patient Care?
Under normal circumstances, the number of medical records which accumulate on the doctor’s desk during a day is readily manageable. During these past few weeks, with everyone shopping from home and some individuals stockpiling supplies, our doctors now need to review an exponential growth in on-line requests.
Many of the patient records on our doctor’s desk involve medical cases that need our doctor’s immediate attention. Others involve progress reports from clients whose pets have ongoing health concerns. Many others involve owners seeking advice and asking whether we need to see their pet. The doctors need to focus their primary attention on these patients.
Your Understanding is Appreciated
We are all trying to cope with extraordinary times. Our doctors will continue to make every effort to meet your needs. We do ask for your patience if your on-line request for medications or food is not immediately filled. It is only because we are trying our best to directly care for other patients in need. Your patience and understanding are most appreciated.