Home Standard Operating Procedures Marketing Dept. Reference Distribution Channels Distribution Channels: Veterinary Veterinary: Veterinary Clinics

Veterinary: Veterinary Clinics

Updated 2 yrs ago | 23 minutes

Overview

Veterinary clinics are a major distribution channel for AdvaCare Pharma’s veterinary product range. A vet clinic is to our veterinary product range what a hospital is to our pharmaceutical product range. However, the fact that livestock are large and not easily transported, unlike hospitals in which patients visit for all necessary healthcare services, vet clinics often require the veterinarians to travel to the farm or ranch and conduct examination of the animals on-site. Vet clinics and hospitals that specialize in large animals vary in the capabilities and services they offer in-house, meaning inside their facility. For example, advanced diagnostic testing and surgeries might require the animal to be transported to the clinic/hospital, but low-middle income countries do not have many such facilities. Therefore, veterinary practices in developing countries rely heavily on on-site visits to provide medical care to livestock animals.

In developed countries, vet clinics will often send a veterinarian to the farm/ranch with specialized equipment, such as portable ultrasound machines or X-ray equipment, to diagnose medical conditions and provide treatment. If the diagnosis requires a more complicated treatment that cannot be on-site, the animal would have to be transported to the clinic/hospital facility. However, given the limited access to veterinary clinic or hospital facilities in rural areas of low/middle income countries, veterinarians have adapted their methods to provide medical care on-site.

Our distributors will approach vet clinics, and veterinarians working at vet clinics, attempting to convince the key decision makers to accept AdvaCare Pharma products, and therefore need to know how to present AdvaCare and the advantages of our veterinary products. It is in our interest that our distributors successfully convince vet clinics and veterinarians that our products can be trusted. In addition to the price offered by our distributor, credibility of our brands is an equally important deciding factor.

Product Range: Which products apply to this channel and why?

Our entire veterinary range is positioned for vet clinic use. Dosage forms are more numerous than for pharmaceuticals given that the species treated with the medicines are far more varied than for pharmaceuticals which only treat humans.

Note: In hospitals, patients will buy pharmaceuticals prescribed by a doctor from the in-house pharmacy, but will not buy the pharmaceutical product directly from the doctor or hospital unless the medication was administered in-patient. However, a veterinarian will usually diagnose and administer the treatment, and also receive payment for the cost of the medications.

The following dosage forms in our veterinary range are distributed through the vet clinic channel:

VETERINARY IN THE VET CLINIC CHANNEL
INJECTIONS	Injections for livestock are similar to pharmaceutical injections for humans, except the volume is larger as the body weight is also considerably more than a human. Vials containing the medication to be injected are often in 50ml and 100ml vials, opposed to those for humans which are usually 7ml, 10ml, 15ml, 20ml vials. However, some smaller vials are also used for veterinary, such as vaccines. Injections are often administered to livestock on-site , on the farm by the veterinarian, and more commonly in low/middle income countries might be administered by the livestock owner (farmer) or his staff. Injections are more likely to be administered by a veterinarian than other dosage forms that are easier for farmers to administer themselves, such as oral solutions & suspensions, powders & premixes and boluses & tablets.
Liquid Injections	Solutions that are already in a liquid state, ready to be administered directly into the animal. Contains one or more active ingredients dissolved in a liquid carrier such as water or oil. May be preferred for medications that are not stable in dry or powder form, or for medications that need to be quickly absorbed into the animal’s bloodstream.
Suspension Injection	Liquid injections that contain particles of the medication that are not completely dissolved in the liquid carrier. These particles may settle at the bottom of the vial over time, and need to be shaken or agitated prior to use. May be preferred for medications that are not easily soluble in a liquid carrier, or for medications that need to be released slowly over time.
Powder for Injection	Dry, powdered medications that need to be reconstituted with a liquid carrier prior to use, usually sterile water or saline. To reconstitute, the sterile water or saline is drawn from a separate vial with a syringe, and injected into the vial with the powder, then shaken to create a liquid solution. May be preferred for medications that are more stable in a dry or solid form, or for medications that need to be stored for longer periods of time.
Vaccines	Vaccines are available in vials in liquid, suspension and powder forms, but most common in liquid form . Each vaccine is for a specific strain of virus or bacteria, and specific to the animal(s) it treats. Contain active (live) or inactivated pathogens or antigens that stimulate the animal’s immune system to produce antibodies against the targeted disease.
SOLUTIONS & SUSPENSIONS	Medications in a liquid form that are given to animals orally and need to be absorbed through the digestive system, or topically to target an affected area. Can be easier to administer to animals than other dosage forms and can target specific areas to avoid more side effects. These dosage forms may be more commonly administered to livestock by farmers than veterinarians. As this dosage form is in liquid form, stability of product is always a concern and weight will be considered for transport as shipping containers and trucks have a weight limit.
Oral Suspensions	Liquid form of medications that are administered orally to animals. Oral suspensions contain undissolved particles of the medication, preferred for medications that are not easily dissolved in liquid carriers. Available in different sized bottles ranging from small 50 or 100ml up to large 1 or 5L.
Oral Solutions	Liquid form of medications that are administered orally to animals. Oral solutions are completely dissolved in the liquid carrier, preferred for medications that easily dissolve. Available in different sized bottles ranging from small 50 or 100ml up to large 1 or 5L.
Pour-on Solutions	Liquid formulations applied topically to the skin or hair of the animal. Commonly used to treat external parasites such as ticks and lice. May contain other medications, such as antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs. May be preferred over oral medications because these are more targeted to the affected area and maybe have fewer side effects.
Disinfectants	Used to kill or prevent the growth of microorganisms, such as bacteria or viruses, to prevent the spread of disease. Commonly used to sanitize equipment and surfaces in animal housing such as barns, stalls and pens. Available in liquid, spray and powder forms, but most common as liquid to be poured or sprayed.
Drops	Liquid medication that is usually administered topically to the eyes, ears or skin of the animal. Commonly used to treat infections or inflammation in these areas. May be preferred over other forms for medications that need to be administered to a specific area, and are often easier to administer than injections or tablets.
POWDERS & PREMIXES	Solid formulations in a pouch/sachet or bag that are mixed with water or feed before administration and absorbed through the animal’s digestive system. Can be more convenient to administer to animals given easier to add to feed or water, and can save time and stress on animals. These dosage forms are definitely more commonly administered to livestock by farmers than veterinarians given the ease and convenience of mixing with water or food. Powders and premixes can be more palatable for animals if medication has bitter taste, and are generally more cost-effective to deliver medication to a large number of animals.
Soluble Powders	Finely ground powder that mixes completely in the drinking water of animals. Often used to treat infections caused by bacteria or parasites that affect an animal's digestive system, respiratory system or other parts of the body. Most commonly available in smaller sachets or bags of 100, 250, 500g and 1kg.
Premixes	Mixtures of one of more active ingredients and other additives, such as vitamins and minerals, that are added to animal feed. Usually produced in large quantities and added to commercial feed. May be used to provide supplemental nutrition and/or medication to the animal. Usually packaged in larger bags compared to soluble powders.
Granules	Solid particles that are larger than powders and may not dissolve completely in water. Typically used in feed to deliver medication or other additives such as vitamins and minerals. May be used when a more controlled release of the medication is desired. Usually packaged in larger bags.
BOLUSES	Solid oral dosage form, similar like a tablet, except larger and shaped like a cylinder (caplet). May be administered by a specialized bolus gun or by hand to the back of the animal’s throat. Commonly administered by both farmers and veterinarians, but often more so by farmers as administration is not as easy as powders & premixes, but easier than injections. Usually designed to provide a more sustained release of medication over a period of time.
TABLETS	Solid oral dosage form, similar in size and shape to tablets for human consumption. May be administered by hand, mixed with feed, or dissolved in water and administered orally. Commonly administered by both farmers and veterinarians, but often more so by farmers as administration is not as easy as powders & premixes, but easier than injections. Can be designed for more immediate release than boluses, or also formulated with different types of excipients or coatings to modify release rate or enhance palatability.
VETERINARY MEDICAL DEVICES	Our medical device range for veterinary is not expansive like our range for humans, instead to provide most commonly used auxiliary products to our distributors. Most veterinary medical devices are specifically for veterinary use, but some human products cross over and are used for vet use. In such cases, the same products may simply be packaged stating that the product is for vet use. Test kits are the widest range, complementing our very wide AccuQuik range of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for humans.
Test Kits	Veterinary Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits (RDT) are very similar to the human RDTs of our AccuQuik range. Rapid tests are specific to the species, most for a specific species but some for multiple species. Rapid tests are especially popular for pets (dogs and cats), but also used for livestock including cows, pigs, birds, goats, sheep and horses.
Injection Instruments	Small range consisting of injection instruments including veterinary syringes, needles, drenching guns and microchip implant kit. Many vet distributors will use human syringes and needles for vet use as these are more cost-effective. In this case, we simply rename our AccuPoint syringes to be for veterinary use, but these are not in this range.
Protective Equipment	Small range consisting of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) for veterinary use including gloves, gowns, aprons, boot covers. This range used by veterinarians and staff when working on-site on a farm/ranch or in the clinic. Stethoscope is the only product in this range that is not PPE.

Target Audience

B2B: Primary Target Audience

As veterinary clinics cannot purchase large volumes of veterinary medicines to meet our MOQ per product, they will purchase through domestic distributors.

See:

Distribution Channels: An Overview > Veterinary Clinics > Why don’t veterinary clinics buy directly from AdvaCare?

These distributors are our customers, the direct purchasers of our veterinary products, and therefore our primary target audience.

See:

Distribution Channels: An Overview > Distributors

B2B: Secondary Target Audience

The vet clinics that our distributors sell our veterinary medicines to are the secondary target audience - the next stage in the supply chain. The procurement department or person of the clinic are the decision makers that decide the vendors and orders based on product prices, availability, quality and relationship with the distributor. If the clinic is small, which is often the case with vet clinics in developing countries, the decision maker could be the owner. Vet clinics owners are not always, but often seem to be veterinarians themselves. This is important to know because this means they will be more technically inclined for knowing the products.

Veterinarians

The role of veterinarians in vet clinics is that of doctor, pharmacist and even salesperson. This makes the vet clinic channel unique when compared to the pharmaceutical product range. Vet clinics also act as a pharmacy by selling the medicines as well as administering them, sometimes in larger quantities if servicing many animals on a farm/ranch. However, in developing countries, it is common practice that the farmers themselves will administer medications, whereas veterinarians might serve to address animal health problems that the farmer cannot. Also, limited access to veterinary care and financial constraints result in farmers themselves administering many medications to their livestock.

Types of Vet Clinics

It is important to know the different types of vet clinics, mostly the difference between large animal clinics vs pet clinics, to understand this target audience and how our veterinary medicines fit into this channel.

See:

Distribution Channels: An Overview > Veterinary Clinics > Types of Vet Clinics

Once our product is used by a vet clinic, and if the product was well accepted by veterinarians and the livestock owners, often the clinic will ask our distributor to reorder the same AdvaCare veterinary brands.

B2C

Farmers and livestock owners are the end users of our veterinary products. As it is already obvious, animals do not decide the brand of veterinary medicine that is administered to them, as this is decided by the veterinarian or livestock owner.

As many of our distributors also supply directly to farmers and livestock owners, as well as through vet clinics, it is important to consider the needs of farmers. Farmers are the end consumer, but more significant than the end consumer of pharmaceuticals or medical devices because a farmer is buying in higher volumes for many animals.

Supply Chain

Vet clinics are the second to last stage in the supply chain before the product is administered to the animal(s):

API Manufacturer > Finished Manufacturer > AdvaCare > Distributor/Importer > [Sub-Distributor] > Vet Clinic > End Consumer (farmer/livestock owner)

See:

Distribution Channels: Introduction > Understanding Supply Chains

Promotional Materials: Which materials apply to this channel and why?

Unlike hospitals for humans, vet clinics do advertise specific brands or products as they provide both healthcare services and medicines for the animals. Therefore, the kind of promotional materials we produce for our distributors to provide to vet clinics and veterinarians should be targeted to what they need and want to see.

As many of our distributors also supply directly to farmers and livestock owners, most of the promotional materials we provide to our distributors can be given to the vet clinics who then give to the farmers, or our distributor can give directly to the farmers if it is their direct customer. However, such promotional materials will be through the farmer channel and not the vet clinic channel unless the vet clinic provides the promotional materials to the farmer. Promotional materials for farmers is especially important as farmers are a different kind of end consumer given that they purchase in higher volumes than a human patient or consumer.

The B2B, B2C, Distributor Sales Dept. channels reflect not for whom the specific promotional item is targeting, but instead to which channel it is provided to. Symbol “(TA)” and Context explains for whom each item is targeting:

✔ = Promotional item provided to this channel.

Who will receive this promotional item?

✘ = Promotional item not provided to this channel.

Who will not receive this promotional item?

❔ = Promotional item might/could be provided to this channel.

Who might or might not receive this promotional item?

(TA) = Intended Target Audience for this channel.

Who is targeted to see this promotional item?

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS FOR VET CLINIC CHANNEL
Printed Materials
Promotional Item	B2B	B2C	Distributor Sales Dept.	Description
Poster and Signage	✔	❔ (TA)	✘	B2B: Signage, such as wall posters, are useful if the vet clinic has a facility to display such signage. Signage should serve primarily for brand awareness - to educate consumers on the benefits, quality and trust/reputation of a specific product or product range. Secondary purpose is to educate on how to use our products or other helpful tips about related health conditions that would make a vet clinic want to display such a poster. B2C: Unlikely but possible that vet clinics could provide signage to larger farmers that have many staff. Signage should serve to educate on topics relevant to a farm, such as tips about how to care for animals or common operating procedures.
Window Signage	✔	✘ (TA)	✘	B2B: Purpose is same as Posters and Signage . B2C: Window signage not likely to be used on a farm/ranch.
Flyer / Pamphlet	✔ (TA)	✔ (TA)	✘	B2B: Flyers, pamphlets and brochures for our distributors to give to vet clinic decision makers (owners, GMs, procurement managers, etc.) to promote AdvaCare and our products. Purpose is to prove credibility and convince secondary target audience to buy AdvaCare products. B2C: Flyers, pamphlets and brochures serve to educate farmers on the benefits, quality and trust/reputation of a specific product or product range. Secondary purpose is to educate on how to use our products or other helpful tips about related health conditions that would make a vet clinic want to provide such material to a farmer.
Shelf Wobbler	✘	✘ (TA)	✘	B2B: Does not apply to vet clinics, only for retail purposes on a shelf.
Aisle Signage	✘	✘ (TA)	✘	B2B: Does not apply to vet clinics, only for retail purposes on a shelf.
Standing Banners	✔	✘ (TA)	❔ (TA)	B2B: Signage, such as large standing posters, are useful if the vet clinic has a facility to display such signage. Signage should serve primarily for brand awareness - to educate consumers on the benefits, quality and trust/reputation of a specific product or product range. Secondary purpose is to educate on how to use our products or other helpful tips about related health conditions that would make a vet clinic want to display such a poster. B2C: Large standing banner not likely to be provided by a vet clinic to a farmer or used on a farm/ranch. Distributor: Can use for seminars, trade shows or other events.
Notepad / Notebook	✔ (TA)	❔ (TA)	❔	B2B: Notepads are cheaper, usually given by distributors to vet clinics for use by staff. Notebooks are more expensive, usually given by distributors to more important customers. Both are effective for brand awareness given it is useful and branding is on every page. B2C: Notepads and notebooks can be given to farmers by vet clinics for brand awareness, but generally farmers do not do much office work. Distributor: Can use but in small quantities.
Sticky Note	✔ (TA)	❔	❔	B2B: Inexpensive and widely used by vet clinic staff. Effective for brand awareness given it is useful and branding on every page. B2C: Sticky notes can be given to farmers by vet clinics for brand awareness, but generally farmers do not do much office work. Distributor: Can use but in small quantities.
Calendar	✔ (TA)	❔	✘	B2B: AdvaCare branded calendars are usually printed annually around July of every year and sent out in advance for the following year. Very strong brand awareness as it is used for a full year, it puts our products and brands in the user’s face for a long period of time. B2C: Calendars can be given to farmers by vet clinics for brand awareness, but generally farmers do not do much office work.
Catalog	✔ (TA)	✔ (TA)	✘	B2B: Distributor gives to vet clinic decision makers to showcase our products for that market and build credibility. Catalogs are usually custom designed and printed for a specific country and/or distributor. B2C: Catalogs can be given to farmers by vet clinics for product selection and brand awareness.
Delivery Vehicle Decal	✘ (TA)	✘ (TA)	✔	Distributor: As most of our distributors have their own delivery trucks, large decals applied to their delivery vehicles are inexpensive and very effective to promote the AdvaCare name in local markets, but requires that the decal be well designed and fit the specific vehicle.
Physical Items
Product Display	✘	✘ (TA)	✘	B2B: Does not apply to vet clinics, only for retail purposes to promote product or brand.
Pen / Highlighter	✔ (TA)	✔ (TA)	✔	B2B: Inexpensive and good for widespread brand awareness, but limited in messaging given only AdvaCare+Distributor logos or only AdvaCare logo can fit onto such a small space. B2C: Pens can be given to farmers by vet clinics for brand awareness, but generally farmers do not do much office work. Distributor: Salespeople can use when in the field.
Desk Clock	✔ (TA)	✘	✘	B2B: Effective for reinforcing general brand awareness as a desk clock sits on someone’s desk for long period of time, but given small size, messaging limited to AdvaCare+Distributor logos or only AdvaCare logo.
Wall Clock	✔ (TA)	✘	✘	B2B: Useful promotional item in vet clinics with long life cycle, but messaging is limited to AdvaCare+Distributor logos or only AdvaCare logo.
Mouse Pad	✔ (TA)	✘	✘	B2B: Inexpensive and effective for brand awareness with many options for messaging. Could be useful for vet clinics as most only have a few computers, so can be given to many vet clinics.
Plastic Folder / Envelope	✔ (TA)	✘	✔	B2B: Inexpensive and useful for any documents that need to be stored or transported by a vet clinic. Distributor: Can use but in small quantities.
Mug	✔ (TA)	✘	✘	B2B: Useful for long term use, given to vet clinic staff to use.
Water Bottle	✔ (TA)	✔ (TA)	✔	B2B: Can be used by vet clinics, but water bottles are most useful for farmers. More premium steel if for veterinarians and decision makers, less premium plastic if for general staff. B2C: Water bottles are very useful for vet clinics to give to farmers while working on the farm. Effective for product and brand awareness. Plastic bottles for larger quantities and steel bottles for larger farmer customers and management. Distributor: Salespeople can use when in the field, small quantity.
Desk Organizer	✔ (TA)	✘	✘	B2B: Less requested but generally good for reinforcing general brand awareness as this sits on someone’s desk for long period of time, but given small size messaging limited to AdvaCare+Distributor logos or only AdvaCare logo.
Shirt	✔ (TA)	❔ (TA)	✔ (TA)	B2B: Inexpensive polo style shirts are ideal for less formal and lower level vet clinic staff, more expensive button-down shirts ideal for veterinarians and management. B2C: Inexpensive polo style shirts can be useful for vet clinics to give to farmer staff. Effective for product and brand awareness. Distributor: Button-down shirts ideal for distributor’s salespeople while in the field, strong brand association and awareness.
Laboratory Coat	✔ (TA)	✘	✘	B2B: Our distributors request lab coats for use by veterinarians and vet clinic staff. These are relatively inexpensive and bring a level of credibility as lab coats are always connected with healthcare, so it is especially credible if veterinarians and staff are wearing lab coats with the AdvaCare logo.
Cap	❔ (TA)	✔ (TA)	✘	B2B: Not used in the vet clinic settings, but possibly provided by distributors to veterinarians, staff, etc. as a gift. B2C: Caps given by vet clinics are very useful for farmers to be used while working on the farm by all staff.
Waist Bag	❔ (TA)	✔ (TA)	✘	B2B: Could be provided by distributors to vet clinic staff as a gift. B2C: Waist bags given to farmers by vet clinics are very useful for farmers to be used while working on the farm by all staff.
Padfolio	✔ (TA)	✘	✔ (TA)	B2B: A preferred promotional item by many distributors, often given as a gift to veterinarians and decision makers. Distributor: Ideal for distributor’s salespeople when in the field for brand awareness.
Backpack / Laptop Case	✔ (TA)	❔ (TA)	✔ (TA)	B2B: Expensive and usually given to distributors with larger promo budgets in lower quantities as gifts for veterinarians and decision makers. B2C: Could be given to farmers by vet clinics, but only the larger customers. Distributor: Ideal for distributor’s salespeople while in the field for strong brand awareness.
Fabric Bag	❔ (TA)	❔ (TA)	❔	B2B: More expensive than plastic bags, but can produce in smaller quantities. Distributors use for a variety of purposes, and considering these are often kept and reused by those who receive them, these do create some brand awareness. However, use is questionable, must find out how these will be used by distributor. B2C: Could be used by farmers, but our bags not ideal for farm use. Distributor: Might be used by distributor to give samples or other materials, must find out intended use.
Plastic / Paper Bag	✘	✘	✘	B2B/B2C: Does not apply to vet clinics, only for retail purposes.
USB Stick	❔ (TA)	✘	✘	B2B: Expensive but can be given as a gift for veterinarians or for vet clinic staff to use. Limited brand awareness, should only give if large budget or specially requested and good reasoning to provide. B2C: Too expensive and farmers are not likely using the internet often.
Pill Organizer	✘	✘	✘	B2B: Not useful for vet clinics.
Mask Holder	✔ (TA)	✘	✘	B2B: Inexpensive and can provide large quantities to provide to vet clinic staff as masks are likely worn somewhat frequently. B2C: Possible to be given to consumers given inexpensive and large quantities are possible if budget allows.
Umbrella	✔ (TA)	❔ (TA)	✘	B2B: Expensive with some brand awareness, ideal for gifts to veterinarians and staff. B2C: Could be given by vet clinics to farmers, but only as a gift. Not especially useful on a farm.
Raincoat	❔ (TA)	✔ (TA)	✘	B2B: Usually umbrella more suitable as a gift, but possible if more expensive raincoats. B2C: Inexpensive raincoats given by vet clinic can be very useful for farmers. Can also consider more expensive raincoats when budget permits. For general brand awareness.
Phone RIng	❔ (TA)	✘	✘	B2B: Inexpensive with limited brand awareness, possible gifts to vet clinics staff but not many requests.
Digital Activations
Online Banner	✔ (TA)	✘ (TA)	✔ (TA)	B2B: Online banners posted by or for our distributors can be effective on social media for product sales and brand awareness. Distributors can also provide online banners to vet clinics to use for their promotion of AdvaCare products. However, the customers of vet clinics, who are farmers, are not online often. Useful for pet clinics.
Digital Catalog	✔ (TA)	✘	✔	B2B: Possible application for distributor’s salespeople to show or send a digital catalog to vet clinic decision makers.
Digital Flyer / Signage	✔ (TA)	❔ (TA)	✔	B2B: Applies only if distributor will print our design in their country, usually results if we cannot send physical promotional materials or budget is not sufficient. B2C: Flyers or signage printed by distributor can be given to vet clinics who then gives to farmers depending on distributor’s marketing goals.
Power Point Presentation	✔ (TA)	✘	✔	B2B: Case specific, usually requires significant time to prepare. Depends on distributor priority.
Website Development	✘ (TA)	✘ (TA)	✔	B2B: For priority distributors, with approval we can design and host a website. We use a template for this, showcasing our products and controlling the hosting, domain and access to the website.
Extended Search Ads	❔ (TA)	✘ (TA)	❔ (TA)	B2B/B2C: We can run Google Ads and other PPC campaigns targeting specific demographics in our distributor’s country. Such campaigns are for priority distributors and must serve a strategic purpose. Must check on restrictions of country.

Did this article help you?