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Vets First Choice

Health Tech & Medtech · Portland, United States · Founded 2010

Vets First Choice, established in 2010 by founder David E. Shaw, emerged from his extensive background in science and technology, including the founding of IDEXX Laboratories, a prominent animal health diagnostics company. Shaw's journey reflects a deep-seated interest in leveraging technology to enhance healthcare outcomes, a vision that directly shaped the formation of Vets First Choice. The company was created to address a critical need within the veterinary industry: improving patient care and practice profitability through better prescription management. The firm operates as a provider of technology-enabled healthcare services, specifically targeting companion and equine veterinary practitioners. Its business model centers on partnering directly with veterinarians. Through this partnership, Vets First Choice offers a proactive prescription management platform that helps identify gaps in patient care and boosts client engagement. This system is designed to increase compliance with prescribed treatments, which has a direct positive impact on animal health. For veterinary practices, the service functions as an extension of their own pharmacy. It allows clinics to offer home delivery of medications and diet plans, competing with online retailers while maintaining the veterinarian-client-patient relationship. This service not only improves health outcomes for animals by ensuring they receive their medications consistently but also generates a new revenue stream for the veterinary practices themselves, enhancing their overall profitability. A pivotal moment in the company's history occurred in 2019 when Vets First Choice merged with the animal health business of Henry Schein. This significant transaction led to the creation of a new, publicly traded entity named Covetrus, with Benjamin Shaw, David's son and the CEO of Vets First Choice, becoming the CEO of the newly formed company. This merger combined Vets First Choice's prescription management platform with Henry Schein's extensive distribution network and software solutions, creating a comprehensive technology and services company for the global animal health market. Keywords: prescription management, veterinary services, animal health, equine care, companion animals, practice management, client engagement, home delivery, veterinary pharmacy, Covetrus