What Is Veterinary PIMS? Types, Benefits and Tools to Use in 2025

Key Takeaways

• A Practice Information Management System (PIMS) is a software platform that manages daily veterinary clinic operations, including patient records, billing, appointment scheduling, and client communication.
• A PIMS can improve practice efficiency by streamlining workflows, saving time on routine tasks, centralising medical records, supporting cloud access, and improving financial management and reporting.
• There are three main types of PIMS – cloud-based, on-premise/ server-based, and hybrid solutions – each with its pros and cons.
• Your choice of PIMS should be based on key clinic factors, like size and type, workflows, budget, desired features, hosting preferences, and vendor support.
• Covetrus Ascend is a leading cloud-based PIMS ideal for clinics of all sizes and types.

Are you a veterinary professional who’s wondering ‘What is veterinary PIMS’? You may have heard industry colleagues talk about how a PIMS has streamlined their workflow, saved them time and money, and improved their business performance, and you want the same.

This guide explains what a PIMS is and the types of veterinary software programs that fall into this category. Read on to find out more about a PIMS and how it can revolutionise your veterinary practice.

What Is Veterinary PIMS?

A Veterinary Practice Information Management System (PIMS), also known as Practice Management Software, is designed to streamline and manage the daily operations of any veterinary practice. 

It’s the central digital hub for all clinical, administrative, and business operations in a veterinary clinic, including managing patient records, billing and invoicing, appointment scheduling, and client communication.A leading example of a PIMS in Australia and New Zealand is Covetrus Ascend.

8 Benefits of Using a Veterinary PIMS

Leading veterinary practice management software solutions, such as Covetrus Ascend, help veterinary clinics of all sizes streamline their operations, boost their efficiency, improve their patient care, increase their profitability, and lift their staff and client satisfaction. A PIMS can also help build customer loyalty, without discounting.

Here are eight key benefits of adopting a veterinary PIMS in your practice:

1. Streamlined workflows and efficiency

A PIMS is an all-in-one system that consolidates key veterinary applications and tools into a single integrated platform and centralises patient, client, and financial data. This introduces greater efficiency by automating routine tasks like appointment scheduling, invoicing, prescription management, and reminders. An well designed, intuitive interface can simplify everyday tasks and reduce the learning curve for new users by up to 90%.

“Staff find that logging in and understanding the navigation and interface is easy to use and user-friendly.” – Ray Chan, Bondi Junction Veterinary Hospital

2. Time savings

Practice management software can save a practice significant amounts of time by automating repetitive tasks like scheduling appointments, sending and following up on reminders, and generating invoices. This frees up staff to focus on more valuable patient and client care and other critical practice tasks. A PIMS like Covetrus Ascend can save up to 16 hours a week.

See how many veterinary appointment reminders you should send.

3. Centralised digital patient records

A PIMS gives veterinary professionals instant access to a patient’s full medical history, including past diagnoses, lab results, and medications. This helps manage treatment plans, track medication schedules, and provide alerts for upcoming vaccinations or other health checks, which improves patient compliance and health outcomes.

4. Client communication

A PIMS centralises client communication and allows two-way messaging, automated reminders, and online appointment booking.

This reduces no-shows and time on the phone for staff. It also lets clinics share medical records, lab results, and educational materials with pet owners, so they can be more involved in their pet’s care.

These all help to keep clients engaged and informed, which boosts retention and client satisfaction.

5. Integration and connectivity

A leading PIMS connects with essential tools and third-party applications for diagnostics, reporting, and client management, which creates a connected, future-proof environment.

Lab results and prescription information are automatically synced to a patient’s record, which saves time and improves accuracy.

6. Cloud-based access and data security

Authorised users can access practice data securely from anywhere, which supports mobile and multi-site operations. Leading PIMS also offer robust data encryption and disaster recovery features. In a recent survey, 80% of veterinary practices reported significant cost savings ($1,000-$5,000 AUD) due to Covetrus Ascend’s cloud-based nature, which eliminates the need for expensive on-site hardware infrastructure.

“We wanted to go paperless, which is why it was really handy moving forward with a cloud-based program.” – Kylie Borham, Port Macquarie Veterinary Hospital

7. Financial management

Practice management software ensures more accurate billing by automatically generating invoices, tracking payments, and managing insurance claims.

This ensures all charges are captured and reduces missed revenue. It also tracks inventory in real time and alerts staff when stock is low, which helps prevent costly overstocking or shortages of critical medications and supplies.

8. Reporting

A PIMS offers powerful reporting tools that provide clinic managers and owners with customisable dashboards that help track key performance indicators, financial performance, client trends, and operational efficiency. This data is essential for making strategic, data-driven business decisions.

Types of Veterinary PIMS

Veterinary Practice Information Management Systems (PIMS) fall into two main categories, based on how they’re hosted and accessed. Other options combine features of each.

While all have the same core purpose of managing a veterinary practice, their technology and models differ. Here’s a breakdown of the common types:

Cloud-based PIMS

Cloud-based PIMS, also known as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), is a modern and increasingly popular option.

With a cloud-based PIMS, the software and the practice’s data are hosted on the PIMS provider’s servers.

Users access this via the internet through a web browser on any internet-connected device, like a computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Read more about how cloud-based veterinary software works, the differences between cloud-based and cloud-hosted and how you can benefit.

On-premise (Server-based) PIMS

On-premise or server-based PIMS is a more traditional approach where the software is installed on the clinic’s computers and a central server within the veterinary practice. All data is stored locally on the server.

Hybrid PIMS

A hybrid PIMS combines elements of on-premise and cloud-based systems. It’s designed to offer the best features of both – giving the accessibility and convenience of the cloud, while keeping some of the local control and offline functionality of a server-based system.

“Ascend gave us options for staff to log in elsewhere or do a quick remote check-in if needed. As practice manager, I can now log in and do work from home whenever necessary.” – Leesa, Curtin Vet Clinic

How to Choose the Right PIMS for Your Veterinary Practice

Choosing the right veterinary practice management software (PIMS) is an important decision that can significantly impact your clinic’s efficiency, profitability, and patient care.

The key is to find a PIMS that aligns with your clinic’s specific needs, budget, and goals. Here are some considerations to help you choose the right PIMS for your veterinary practice:

1. Assess practice needs and priorities

Start by identifying your clinic’s specific requirements. Your type of practice – for example, small animal, mixed, equine, emergency, or mobile – will influence the workflows and features you need.

Consider the size of your team, the number of locations you operate, and how your staff work day-to-day. Also identify your ‘must-have’ features, pain points and goals, such as improving efficiency, enhancing client communication, lifting financial performance, or meeting compliance requirements.

Here are 5 ideas and top tips for Practice Managers

2. Choose a hosting model

Next, choose if you want a cloud-based or an on-site server. Cloud-based systems are ideal for remote access, automatic updates, and minimal IT maintenance.

On-site systems offer full control and offline reliability but require more in-house technical support.

3. Evaluate core features

When deciding on the right PIMS for your veterinary practice, make sure it delivers the essentials to operate an efficient practice.

Some key features to evaluate when choosing a PIMS include:

🗹 robust patient record management
🗹 seamless integration for imaging and lab results
🗹 efficient and easy-to-use scheduling and reminders for appointments and follow-ups
🗹 billing and inventory control
🗹 client communication tools like SMS, email, and online booking
🗹 comprehensive veterinary practice analytics and reporting 
🗹 ability to integrate with diagnostics and payment processors
🗹 24/7 comprehensive support.

4. Evaluate vendor and support

The practice management software is only part of the equation. Solid customer support, as well as onboarding and training, are critical, so check your PIMS partner’s offerings, like 24/7 support, knowledge bases, video tutorials, and in-person training.

Also, check reviews and case studies and ask for references. Understand the total cost of ownership (TCO), which includes not just the initial purchase or ongoing subscription, but also any fees for data migration, support, and future upgrades.

Seamless data migration is crucial, so ask your selected vendor to explain their process for securely transferring your existing practice records without disruption.

5. Check compatibility and integrations

Make sure the software you select will work seamlessly with your existing lab equipment, imaging systems, payment gateways, and other third-party applications.

It should also allow easy data migration so you can import existing records without losing patient history. For more complex needs, confirm if it offers API access for custom integrations.

6. Review security and compliance

Cloud-based systems should meet relevant data security and privacy regulations.

Check for encryption and secure servers, and find out how often backups are performed and if there’s a robust disaster recovery plan in place.

7. Trial before committing

If possible, use demo versions or trial periods to evaluate a PIMS’ performance, usability, and suitability for your practice workflow. Get your team involved in testing the system, so you get a realistic picture of how it will operate in daily use.

A leading PIMS, like Covetrus Ascend, offers simple implementation and onboarding, a dedicated customer success program, and a specialist assigned to your practice. It also offers free online learning as part of the subscription cost, as well as specialist training to help your practice grow.

8. Plan for the Future

Choose a PIMS that can grow with your practice, whether that means adding more users, expanding to additional locations, or enabling more advanced features over time.

Ask your vendor about their development roadmap – this helps make sure your practice management software remains relevant as your needs change.

You can also read more about the advantages of veterinary practice management software and how to choose the right one. And here are 10 areas to watch in the evolution of veterinary technology.

Book a Demo with Covetrus Ascend or click below to watch a recorded demo of our cloud software in action.

Top Veterinary PIMS Tools & Software

If you’re looking for the top veterinary Practice Information Management Systems (PIMS) in Australia and New Zealand, Covetrus Ascend is a leading and widely used solution.

Covetrus Ascend

Covetrus Ascend is a cloud-based veterinary practice software solution (PIMS) that’s designed to streamline operations, build team collaboration, and improve client and patient outcomes.

It’s built with input from veterinary professionals and industry experts, and it addresses common practice challenges like administrative burdens, staffing shortages, and workflow inefficiencies.

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Key Features of Covetrus Ascend

• Cloud-based and mobile: Ascend lets your staff access the PIMS from anywhere, at any time, on any device with an internet connection. This gives flexibility and is especially helpful for mobile veterinarians or if you need to access records from home.
• Intuitive and user-friendly interface: Ascend is designed to be easy to learn and use, and it has an interface that simplifies daily tasks. This can significantly reduce training time for new staff members.
• Workflow automation: Ascend’s automated workflows save time and reduce your team’s administrative burden. Features include streamlined check-in and check-out processes, simplified billing, and integrations that automatically populate lab results into patient records.
• Integrated communication: Ascend centralises communication and eliminates the need for separate messaging systems like text or email. It also provides team announcements and internal messaging and can send automated client reminders.
• Comprehensive features: Ascend offers a full suite of PIMS functionalities, including electronic medical records, appointment scheduling, inventory management, billing, and reporting tools, so you can track your practice’s financial health and operational performance.
• Robust integrations: Ascend integrates with a wide range of third-party tools and services, like diagnostic equipment, payment processors, and online pharmacies. This creates a more seamless and connected workflow.
• Focus on team wellbeing: Ascend’s design reflects a focus on team mental health and wellbeing, with features like positive affirmations and birthday celebrations.

Pricing

Pricing is charged by the number of users and payable monthly. There are no lock-in contracts. To discuss your specific requirements and competitive pricing, book a quick call with our Ascend team.

Pros of Covetrus Ascend

• Cloud-based and mobile: Ascend is a cloud-based solution that gives your staff access from any device with an internet connection.
• Time savings: Some practices report saving up to 16 hours a week through Ascend’s streamlined workflows and automation.
• Cost savings: Veterinary practices report significant cost savings of $1,000 to AUD 5,000 for smaller practices and $6,000 to $30,000 for larger practices due to Ascend’s cloud-based nature. This eliminates the need for expensive on-site hardware infrastructure.
• Intuitive and user-friendly: Ascend has a modern, visual, and easy-to-use interface that simplifies daily tasks and reduces training time.
• Workflow automation: Ascend is designed to automate and streamline many daily practice workflows, which saves time and improves productivity.
• Comprehensive features and integrations: Ascend offers a full suite of PIMS functionalities, including EMR, scheduling, billing, and inventory management. It also integrates with a wide range of third-party tools, like diagnostic equipment and online pharmacies.
• Dedicated support: Covetrus is committed to customer support by offering 24/7 technical support, in-person onboarding options, and a dedicated customer success specialist.

Cons

• Reliance on internet connectivity: Ascend is a cloud-based solution that needs a stable and reliable internet connection.
• No ‘in-house’ IT control: With a cloud-based system, your practice gives up some control you’re your data and IT infrastructure. This means you rely on Covetrus for security, backups, and server maintenance.

Who Covetrus Ascend is Best For

Covetrus Ascend cloud-based PIMS is ideal for small to medium-sized veterinary clinics, multi-location practices, and mobile vets without a large initial investment.

It saves time, is easy to use with minimal training, integrates well, and keeps clients happy and engaged with automated reminders and online booking. It also supports staff with tools like team messaging and morale-boosting features.

Also read: How to get the best veterinary practice management software for your clinic

Book a Demo with Covetrus Ascend or click below to watch a recorded demo of our cloud software in action.

Simplify Your Veterinary Practice Management and Workflow with Covetrus Ascend

Covetrus Ascend is a modern cloud-based PIMS that addresses many of the key challenges facing veterinary professionals today. It simplifies and streamlines practice workflows and boosts team collaboration.

It also offers powerful efficiency and flexibility that help your practice deliver exceptional patient care and lift performance and growth.

Book a personalised demo today to discover how Covetrus Ascend can transform your practice and streamline your daily operations.