Page 64 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

48 Tasks for the Veterinary Assistant

write the item on a whiteboard or clipboard. This works Receiving Shipments
well if everyone actually does it. Everyone must be com­
mitted to making sure products are written down before Orders are usually delivered in one to two days by the
they are used up. However, during a crazy busy day, distributors. Most have warehouses strategically located
someone grabs the last roll of gauze, instead of writing it to service an area that facilitates a one‐day turnaround.
down right away she rushes off because an animal is When boxes are delivered they should be inspected for
bleeding! No one knows that was the last roll until the damage before being signed for. If visibly damaged you
next patient needs it. If a product is out then the can refuse them, and the driver will have to take them
treatment of an animal may have to wait one or two days for shipment back to the distributor. Otherwise, sign for
and that could be critical in some instances. the delivery and alert the inventory manager that the
boxes have arrived.

Reflection Handling Shipments and Invoices

Compare and contrast the two techniques of
inventory control – the reorder point tags versus To unpack the boxes, they should be opened carefully
writing items needed on a whiteboard. with a box cutter so as not to cut the products inside. Set
all the items out in piles and then compare the number
of items ordered with the number of items that were
shipped using the invoice. The invoice is either packed
Ordering Supplies inside the box or in a plastic envelope on the outside of
the box. For example, if 5 boxes of 3 mL syringes were
ordered, there should be 5 boxes in the shipping box
Supplies are ordered from businesses that specialize in
veterinary medicine products. The most common is a and 5 boxes should be shown on the invoice. Mark a
distributor that sells several brand name products in check alongside that item and continue to check the
addition to their “house” brand. Some companies will invoice against the actual items to ensure everything that
only sell direct to veterinarians; their brand name prod­ was ordered was shipped. Invoices have the price of the
ucts are ordered through their company’s website. Both items on them and those will have to be adjusted to
will have online ordering platforms that require an reflect the mark‐up the clinic assigns to pay for the costs
account set‐up prior to ordering which will require a of ordering, stocking, storing, and selling the item. This
payment method, name, and license number of the vet­ is usually 50–100% of the purchase price. If the item is
erinarian and a user ID and password. The inventory sold outright to clients a price is marked on the item.
manager usually handles the orders by gathering all the Invoices are considered bills and once every item in the
inventory tags or information from the whiteboard. A box is checked against the invoice it goes to the office
smart inventory manager will take a quick spin through manager for payment.
the storage areas and see if there are items that are close If utilizing the management software, the number of
to the ordering point and grab those tags as well. If pos­ items is placed in the appropriate spots in the database,
sible, ordering once a week is preferable. This often and the invoice is used to check the price of the object.
ensures that an order will ship for free because a certain If the price needs to be adjusted, it is updated at this
dollar amount gains free shipping. Also, it takes the point as well.
inventory control person out of caring for patients only
once a week! Restocking Shelves

The inventory tags need to be placed on the appropriate
Reflection reorder point item and then are ready to be put away.
Check the packaging for storing instructions. There will
In everyday life we deal with goods that either are be instructions for temperature tolerance and whether
name brands or “house” or generic brands. Have to store in a dark or dry place or in the refrigerator. If a
you ever compared the two? For example, most cart is available, use it to facilitate moving the items to
grocery stores will carry a name brand spaghetti their storage areas. Group items for the refrigerator,
sauce, but alongside of it will be their store brand. storage room, or pharmacy, and so on, on the cart. This
What could be the differences between these two will reduce the number of trips needed to get things put
products and what could they mean to you as a away. Place all the new items behind any items that are
client? still on the shelf. This is called stock rotation or “first in,
first out.” This is especially important if there is an