Having product types at the core of your product database helps ensure consistency while allowing you the options to customize individual products and services to suit your practice's needs.
Shepherd products and services are broken down into the following types:
Injections: Injections are all non-vaccine, injectable products (remember vaccines have their own type). Charged per ml.
Medications: Similar to injections but with different administration routes. Charged per tablet, capsule, ml, etc.
Products: Products is sort of a catch-all that covers everything from food and treats to merchandise. Medications sold by the whole unit, bottle, tube fall in this product type.
Services: Services usually encompass procedures (spay/neuter, nail trim, laser treatments, exams) and can also include things like emergency visits. Services also allow you to automatically update a patient status. For example, a spay can change a patient status to 'Male, Neutered' or 'Female, Spayed' and euthanasia would change the patient status to 'Deceased.'
Vaccinations: While technically injections, they have different fields and requirements.
These product types differ from product categories.
If you want a high level view, check out this overview for products and services.
When creating a product, there are several sections allowing you the most customization on a per product (or service) level.
General
These fields will generate the rest of the page appropriately based on the type of product you're creating.
Use the Active toggle to activate or deactivate a product you've created
Select the Product Type
Select the Product Category
Create the Invoice Line Name (For services, products, and vaccines, this is how the product will appear on an invoice)
Check whether or not you want this item to show on the invoice if declined.
Mark the product controlled (This is in the general section only for Product product types)
Details
This section is custom to each product type and contains the specific details of the product being added to your database. This section is not applicable and not included for product and service product types.
Injection Details
Injection Name: as it should appear in the medical record
Controlled: check for controlled injectables
Concentration: Using the medication unit and volume, set the concentration of the injection which will be used when Shepherd automatically calculates the quantity needed based on patient weight.
Medication Unit: g, IU, mcg, mg
Volume: ml
Administration Routes: select all that apply - CRI, IM, IV, Other, OTM, PO, PR, and 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: as it should appear in the medical record
Controlled: check for controlled medications
Concentration: Using the medication unit and volume, set the concentration of the injection which will be used when Shepherd automatically calculates the quantity needed based on patient weight.
Medication Unit: g, IU, mcg, mg
Volume: caplet, capsule, ml, per, and tablet
Administration Routes: select all that apply - CRI, IM, IV, Other, OTM, PO, PR, and SC.
Vaccine Details
Combo Vaccination: Select the toggle to indicate the product is a combo vaccine and add multiple vaccination names and due dates. Use this when adding vaccinations like DHPPL where boosters are due at different times.
Combo vaccination items can be indicated as Rabies Vaccines simultaneously. This ensures that any combo vaccine events involving Rabies are accurately included in the Vaccine report and recognized by Rabies vaccine filters.
Label Name: The name you wish to display on vaccination reports
Vaccination Name: Displays on vaccination history & certificates
Due In/Time Unit: Select the date the vaccination will become due again
Linked Inventory Item
If adding a product you track in inventory, link this product to an existing inventory item.
Learn more about creating and linking inventory items here.
Track Product Lots
(Vaccine product type & controlled items only)
This section allows you to enter and track multiple product lots. Enter the following details and save the lot in Lot History. You'll be able to select the correct lot when you administer a vaccine or controlled substance in a SOAP.
Manufacturer
Serial Number
Lot Number
Lot Expiration Date
Bottle Number
Visit this section at any time to add new lots or archive old lots.
Note: You cannot archive an old until you enter the new lot information.
Product Price
This section will determine how your product is automatically priced when added to an invoice. All product types have a product price section with the following fields:
Selling Price: what the product sells for
Min. Price: the lowest price an item/unit will cost, regardless of quantity
Dispensing Fee: allows you to select one of your pre-made dispensing fees and automatically populates the amount (which can be overridden).
Dispensing Fee Amount: you can also set a unique amount for specific products
Calculate by: This field is generated when he product you're creating or editing is linked to an inventory item. You'll be able to decide if you wish to calculate the selling price based on the UOM or % markup. You'll see the Calculate By field and Markup % fields appear when Linked Inventory Item section above is selected. Depending on the selection you make in this field, you can manipulate either the selling price per unit OR the markup % to adjust the selling price accordingly.
Product Price Settings
These options allow you to determine which automations are applicable for this product i.e., should discounts automatically apply when applicable? Should this be taxed?
Included on Invoice: When this is checked, the product will automatically be added to the invoice when administered in the SOAP
Taxable: This product selling price will be multiplied by your selected tax rate and tax will be added to the invoice.
Hide From Treatment Search: When this is enabled, this item will not be searchable to manually include within any invoicing or treatment plans individually. You can include the item within a bundle to ensure invoicing is always handled to your preference.
Client Discount Eligible: A client's selected discount will apply by default to this product when added to their invoice.
Pet Assure Discount Eligible (25%): The 25% Pet Assure discount will be automatically applied to this product on Pet Assure members' invoices.
Default Product Discount Toggle
The default product discount is a custom % or $ amount discount - it cannot be applied in conjunction with client discount or Pet Assure discount eligibility on a product. Products with a Default Product Discount will be added to the invoice with the discount applied automatically. It will look the same as applying a discount directly from the invoice, but it won't be editable since it is a product setting.
Rx Label Settings
(Product and Medication product types only)
If you'll be printing a label for the product or medication, enter the standard product directions here so you don't need to create them every time you prescribe the medication. You can adjust them directly in the SOAP if necessary.
Below are options/settings for all product types
Discharge Instructions
Create automatically added product discharge instructions on a per-product basis here. Find more about how to do it in this article.
Automatic Task
If there is follow up work to the administration of your product or service, add an automatic task that will be created when after administration. Find out more about this feature here.
Included in Medical Record
Include notes with the product or service by default in the medical record by depicting them here in the product settings.