This article originally appeared in the Fall 2026 issue of EquiManagement. Sign up here for a FREE subscription to EquiManagement’s quarterly digital or print magazine and any special issues.
Decades ago, sales of medications and medical supplies greatly supplemented many veterinary practices’ revenue. This income source did not go unnoticed, and with the birth of the internet, companies began to sell these items online. Online sales allow vendors to store a large quantity of products in a warehouse and ship them to customers, lowering costs due to economies of scale. Prices for medications and supplies purchased from online sources were typically lower than those sold at the local veterinary practice. Retail corporations began to stock and sell a wide variety of products, including medications, supplies, supplements, and tack.
As online sales of prescription medications grew, veterinarians began spending uncompensated time approving medication requests. With busy schedules and little unstructured office time, many veterinarians have found this to be burdensome. Some practices have implemented boundaries around prescription requests or charge a fee for writing or approving prescriptions from third-party pharmacies. Approving a prescription is a professional service that requires medical assessment, record review, and staff time to process. Some states permit veterinarians to charge clients fees for their services and time spent writing prescriptions, others prohibit it, and still others are silent—so check your state’s laws.
Online Pharmacy Platforms for Veterinary Practices
Online pharmacy platforms for vet practices have become common. These are practice-branded platforms clients can access on your practice website to order products for home delivery. Practices often also use online compounding or specialty pharmacies that can provide varying flavors, strengths, or formulations. Practices that use online platforms can decide what products to offer and at what markup. While online pharmacy platforms are marketed to veterinarians as time- and money-savers, it is important to investigate the return you can expect, the time commitment, and the prescription approval process. Many platforms give meager returns when prices are set competitively with commercial online options.
For instance, Traci Hill Hulse, DVM, said she’s unhappy with the online pharmacy platform she uses. “They mark up the price too much to be competitive and take most of the profit,” she said. “I try to sell directly to clients as much as I can. I have a cabinet where clients can pick up meds and a drop box to leave payments, or they can Zelle or Venmo payment.”
In-House Stocked Pharmacy
Some practices continue to maintain stocked pharmacies and provide medications as a convenience to their clients. “As a solo practitioner with a haul-in facility, I do not have an online pharmacy,” said Jessica Hamilton, DVM. “I have chosen to keep a tight inventory and utilize drop-ship from my vendors. I do not charge the client extra for shipping, and it takes 2-3 minutes to write out an email and approve the medication. This has worked well for my practice model.”
Solo practitioner Jo Vecchione, VMD, said, “I manage my pharmacy in-house, have set up autoship with a reminder system, and keep inventory moving monthly so money isn’t sitting on shelf. My pharmacy is definitely profitable.”
Buying Groups
Another option for managing pharmaceuticals is to join a buying group like the Equine Purchasing and Inventory Company (EPIC). These organizations bring veterinary practices together to negotiate volume discounts.
Final Thoughts
No matter how you decide to handle medication and supply sales, having convenience for clients, return on investment, and inventory on hand when needed are critical components.
Related Reading
- Business Briefs: The Pros and Cons of an Online Pharmacy
- The Business of Practice: Veterinary Inventory Control
- 6 Ways to Improve Equine Practice Profitability
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