VPR’s built-in client information sheets allow veterinarians to supply their clients with critical information about drug interactions, risks, and side effects. This makes compliance with Lizzie’s Law (as enacted in California’s Senate Bill No. 1480) simple, and gives pet owners the information they need to make intelligent decisions for the well-being of their pets.
Client education is one of the most important ways to increase customer satisfaction and compliance at any veterinary practice. A confused customer is someone you will likely not see again. Not only that, if the customer does not fully understand the next steps for their pet’s care, then the animal may not get the appropriate post-appointment attention.
That being said, you as the veterinarian or veterinary technician have a limited amount of time to explain to each client every detail about the treatments provided and medications prescribed. This was a significant problem for one of our founders, Dr. Teresa Koogler. Her solution: client information sheets that detail the reason why the drug is being prescribed, the cautions associated, and any side effects that are possible with the use of the drug. The client information sheet also informs the client about handling, storage and administration details. You can feel confident that you have provided informed consent when you highlight the important points and send a client information sheet home with the pet owner so they have the most accurate information in their hands after their appointment. This is a great way to keep the patient healthy, and the client happy. Dr. Google is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wouldn’t you rather be the one to properly educate your client?
First passed in December 2018 in California, Lizzie’s Law requires veterinarians to offer pet owners counseling on a prescribed drug’s intent, dosage, potential adverse reactions, side effects, and other warnings.
The law takes its nickname from Lizzie, a Yorkie who was lost to a drug reaction. Lizzie reacted adversely to a drug as a result of previous liver damage – but the potential for the reaction wasn’t communicated beforehand.
Today, the law requires that verbal explanations and printouts about warnings, potential risks, and side effects are given prior to administering drugs or treatments. The intent is to assist pet owners in well-informed decision making.
If you are using the integrated version of VPR or VPR Cloud within your practice management software, your system can be automatically set to print a client information sheet with every prescription that you send out the door. With the standalone version, it’s just an additional click away to provide your clients with the information they need, either in paper form or as an email. You can have a brief conversation highlighting the most important things for the owner to remember, then you can either hand them the sheet or send it in an email. Depending on your practice preference, you can rest assured knowing that you have provided your client all they need to use the prescription safely and effectively in the treatment of their pet.
