Covetrus vRxPro Integration enters Open Beta on August 1st, 2026.
The Covetrus vRxPro integration connects your online pharmacy with Shepherd, reducing manual data entry and keeping client, patient, prescription, and order information aligned across both platforms.
Once connected, eligible client and patient records created or updated in Shepherd sync to vRxPro. Prescriptions authorized through vRxPro and related pharmacy order activity are then sent back to the patient record in Shepherd, giving your team greater visibility into a patient’s medication history.
This guide covers required client and patient information, synchronization behavior, prescription and order history, duplicate records, and troubleshooting records that are not appearing as expected.
Navigate to: Admin > Integrations > Covetrus vRxPro
Quick Start Guide
Connect the integration.
Confirm the client’s first name, last name, and email address are entered in Shepherd.
Confirm the patient’s name, species, date of birth, sex, and weight are entered.
Allow the integration to synchronize the client and patient record with vRxPro.
Confirm existing records in vRxPro match the information stored in Shepherd.
Link each authorizing veterinarian in vRxPro to the corresponding Shepherd user.
Review prescriptions and pharmacy orders from the patient’s record in Shepherd.
Connecting the Integration
Navigate to Admin > Integrations and select Covetrus vRxPro
Turn on the Active toggle to enable
Client and Patient Synchronization
The integration automatically synchronizes client and patient information between Shepherd and vRxPro. This allows practice teams to access the online pharmacy without entering the same information separately in both systems.
New clients and patients created in Shepherd are sent to vRxPro. When supported information changes in Shepherd, the corresponding vRxPro record is updated during a scheduled synchronization.
Required Information
Before expecting a client or patient to appear in vRxPro, confirm the following fields are complete.
Client Information
First name
Last name
Email address
Patient Information
Name
Species
Date of birth
Sex
Weight
If any required field is missing, the record will not sync. Once the missing information is added in Shepherd, the record should be included in the next scheduled update.
The integration synchronizes approximately every hour.
To reduce incomplete records, consider configuring Shepherd so your team is required to enter the same client and patient information required by vRxPro.
Initial Data Synchronization
When the integration is first connected, only clients and patients with activity during the previous two years are included in the initial synchronization.
A record outside that period will begin syncing after new activity is recorded for the client or patient in Shepherd.
Viewing Prescription and Order History
Prescriptions authorized through vRxPro are automatically sent to the patient’s Prescriptions tab in Shepherd.
Covetrus pharmacy order activity is also displayed in Shepherd, allowing your team to review medication activity alongside the patient’s clinical record.
Prescription History
A prescription history entry confirms that a prescription was issued to the client through vRxPro.
Order History
An order history entry confirms that the client purchased the medication and that the order was shipped.
Together, these records can help your team:
Confirm whether a prescription was issued
Verify whether the client placed an order
Determine whether medication was shipped
Answer client questions about prescription fulfillment
Identify potential delivery or fulfillment issues
Resolving Duplicate Records
A duplicate record may be created in vRxPro when the client or patient information stored in Shepherd does not exactly match an existing vRxPro record.
When vRxPro cannot confidently identify a matching record, it creates a new one instead of linking information to a potentially incorrect client or patient.
Common causes include:
Different patient dates of birth
Misspelled client or patient names
Different client email addresses
Linked records are necessary for prescription and order history to appear under the correct patient in Shepherd. An unresolved duplicate may result in incomplete medication history.
Keep the New Record
To retain the newly created record:
Open the old, pre-existing record in vRxPro.
Inactivate the old record.
Keep the newly created record active.
Historical prescription and order information remains attached to the old record and does not automatically move to the new one.
Keep the Existing Record
To retain the original vRxPro record:
Open the newly created record in vRxPro.
Inactivate the new record.
Compare the client and patient information in Shepherd with the existing vRxPro record.
Correct any discrepancies, such as the patient’s date of birth, spelling of a name, or the client’s email address.
Confirm the information matches in both systems.
Allow the next scheduled synchronization to run.
Once the information is aligned, the existing vRxPro record should automatically link to the corresponding Shepherd record. Resolve duplicates promptly to prevent gaps in the patient’s prescription and order history.
Linking Veterinarian Records
The veterinarian who authorizes a prescription in vRxPro must be linked to the corresponding veterinarian record in Shepherd.
A vRxPro practice administrator must complete this process. Accessing vRxPro User Management requires multi-factor authentication.
To link a veterinarian:
Open User Management in vRxPro.
Open the authorizing veterinarian’s user record.
Find the PIMS Vet Link section.
Select the pencil icon.
Search for the veterinarian using the name shown in Shepherd.
Select the correct Shepherd veterinarian.
Save and close the record.
Confirm the veterinarian now displays as linked.
Once the records are linked, qualifying prescription and order history should begin flowing to Shepherd automatically.
Each time a new veterinarian is added to vRxPro, link the user to the appropriate Shepherd veterinarian record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is a Client or Patient Not Appearing in vRxPro?
There are two common reasons.
Required Information Is Missing
Confirm all required client and patient fields are complete in Shepherd.
Client
First name
Last name
Email address
Patient
Name
Species
Date of birth
Sex
Weight
After adding the missing information, allow the next hourly synchronization to complete.
The Record Was Not Included in the Initial Synchronization
The initial data load includes clients and patients with activity during the previous two years. Records outside that period will begin syncing when new activity occurs in Shepherd.
Why Do Prescription and Order Records Appear Separately?
Prescription and order records represent different stages of pharmacy activity.
A prescription record confirms that a prescription was issued. An order record confirms that the client purchased the medication and that it was shipped.
Displaying both gives your team a more complete view of the patient’s pharmacy activity.
Why Are Duplicate Records Being Created in vRxPro?
Duplicate records are commonly caused by information in Shepherd not matching an existing vRxPro record.
Check for:
Different dates of birth
Misspelled client or patient names
Different email addresses
Correct the information so it matches in both systems, then allow the next scheduled synchronization to run.
Why Are a Patient’s Prescriptions or Orders Not Appearing in Shepherd?
The patient record or authorizing veterinarian may not be linked correctly.
Open the patient’s prescription or order history in vRxPro and review the status shown at the top of the record.
Status | Meaning |
Sent | The record was successfully sent to Shepherd. |
Patient Not Linked | The vRxPro patient is not connected to the corresponding Shepherd patient. |
Vet Not Linked | The authorizing veterinarian’s vRxPro user is not connected to the corresponding Shepherd veterinarian. |
For Patient Not Linked, review the patient’s information for discrepancies or duplicate records.
For Vet Not Linked, have a vRxPro practice administrator connect the veterinarian through the PIMS Vet Link section of the veterinarian’s user record.
Need Help?
Contact your Covetrus representative or reach out to Covetrus Support:
Email: practicesupport@covetrus.com
Phone: (877) 999-CVET (2838)