Product options and requirements vary based on the selected product type. Understanding these differences helps you create, configure, and manage products efficiently in Shepherd.
Purpose
Product types are the foundation of your product database. They help ensure consistency across your catalog while still allowing flexibility to customize items to fit your practice’s workflow.
Shepherd supports the following product types:
Injections – All non-vaccine injectable products. Charged per mL.
Medications – Similar to injections but with different administration routes. Charged per tablet, capsule, mL, etc.
Products – Covers physical goods such as food, treats, or merchandise. Also used for medications sold by full unit, bottle, or tube.
Services – Procedures such as exams, surgeries, nail trims, or laser therapy. Services can also automatically update a patient’s status (e.g., spay or euthanasia).
Vaccinations – Injectable vaccines with unique fields and reporting requirements.
Product types differ from categories. Types define functionality and setup options, while categories are used for organization and reporting.
Creating a Product
When adding a product, you’ll complete several sections. Each section is dynamic based on product type.
General
The General section defines key details that apply to all product types:
Active toggle – Activates or deactivates a product.
Product Type – Selects the type (Injection, Medication, Product, Service, or Vaccine).
Product Category – Assigns the product to a reporting group.
Invoice Line Name – The name displayed on invoices.
Show if Declined – Determines whether declined items appear on the invoice.
Controlled – Marks the item as a controlled substance (for Product type only).
Details by Product Type
Injection Details
Injection Name – Appears in medical records.
Controlled – Check if applicable.
Concentration – Based on unit and volume. Shepherd uses this for automatic dose calculations.
Medication Unit – g, IU, mcg, mg.
Volume – mL.
Administration Routes – CRI, IM, IV, Other, OTM, PO, PR, SC.
Injection Concentration Calculation in SOAP
If you enter the dose in mg/kg, Shepherd will calculate the dose in ml in a gray field below. If you enter the dose in ml in the SOAP during administration, Shepherd automatically confirms the dose calculation in mg/kg in the same field.
Medication Details
Medication Name – Appears in medical records.
Controlled – Check if applicable.
Concentration – Used for weight-based dosing.
Medication Unit – g, IU, mcg, mg.
Volume – caplet, capsule, mL, per, tablet.
Administration Routes – CRI, IM, IV, Other, OTM, PO, PR, SC.
Vaccine Details
Combo Vaccination – Combine multiple vaccinations (e.g., DHPPL) with unique due dates.
Rabies Vaccine Toggle – Mark combo vaccines that include Rabies for accurate reporting.
Label Name – Appears on vaccination reports.
Vaccination Name – Displays on vaccination history and certificates.
Due In / Time Unit – Sets when the next booster is due.
Linked Inventory Item
If the product is tracked in inventory, link it to an existing inventory item. Learn more in Creating and Linking Inventory Items.
Track Product Lots
Available for Vaccine and Controlled items
Track and manage product lots to ensure traceability.
Fields include:
Manufacturer
Serial Number
Lot Number
Expiration Date
Bottle Number
Visit this section at any time to add new lots or archive old lots.
You cannot archive an old until you enter the new lot information.
Product Price
Define how pricing is calculated when a product is added to an invoice.
Selling Price – The standard charge.
Min. Price – The lowest allowable price per unit.
Dispensing Fee / Amount – Adds an automatic fee if applicable.
Calculate By – Determines price based on markup % or unit cost (for linked inventory items).
Markup % – Adjusts selling price relative to cost.
Product Price Settings
Customize how a product behaves during invoicing:
Included on Invoice – Automatically adds when administered.
Taxable – Applies tax rate during invoicing.
Hide from Treatment Search – Prevents manual addition to treatments.
Client Discount Eligible – Applies client-level discounts.
Pet Assure Discount Eligible – Automatically applies the 25% Pet Assure discount.
Default Product Discount – Adds a preset discount automatically.
Rx Label Settings
Product and Medication product types only
Add standard directions for printed prescription labels. You can edit directions within the SOAP if needed.
Additional Options for All Product Types
Discharge Instructions
Add default discharge instructions that populate automatically when the product is administered. Learn more about discharge instructions.
Automatic Task
Create follow-up tasks that generate automatically after administration. Learn more about automatic tasks.
Included in Medical Record
Set default medical notes that appear each time the product or service is administered.