Linking Products Setup (and a feature request)

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

I'm struggling to get a good workable solution to being able to "link" a product to the stock control of another, to be able to sell it in different ways. (Link is how Cornerstone described it, which is where I have come from, so I'll stick with that term for the moment).

The problem I'm trying to solve is selling a product in different presentations which still allows for accurate stock control AND is easy & obvious on the invoices / estimates.

e.g. Apoquel 16mg tablets are sold individually, or in combination with 5.4mg tablets. So there's a 16mg product, and a 5.5mg product. And then the only way to create the combination I have found is to create a template containing the 16mg and the 5.5mg and another product for the dispensing fee.

This is functionally kind of adequate, though not adaptable or even close to optimal. It can be made to look ok on the client invoice. But working with it on the invoice will show 3 lines - 5.5mg, 16mg, & dispensing fee. Which is totally different to how every other product is presented, and on a lengthy invoice is making it difficult to check for missed or incorrect charges (e.g. billing 1 tablet instead of 30 or 60 is an expensive mistake that is easy to do. 

In the same way that we can link to a product pricing template for price info, can it be made possible to link to an existing product for stock control? And still allow all the normal product set up information. It would allow cheaper pricing for whole packets for chronic meds vs split doses for urgent care (smaller volume) e.g. per ml or per bottle. (Selecting a drop-down list fixed price leads to challenges for the staff member - they have to think about something that should be really, really easy).

And while I'm in the suggesting mood, Cornerstone asked for confirmation each time a prescription label was a single unit - "The quantity entered is one. Is this quantity correct?" It sounds like a pita, but it stops a lot of missed charges, especially during a busy consult session.

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Re: Linking Products Setup (and a feature request)

hi,

I just came to say, with regards to the ""The quantity entered is one. Is this quantity correct?" throwing a warning that has to be clicked through. I think this is a great idea and would love to see it as a project.

With your main problem... We would solve this issue by just having 2 items in a template. the dispensing fee is a linked fee though (Tab 3 in the "Edit Medication" screen) and would be attached to both items. So the dispensing fee is within the larger charge the client sees for that product. however this is essentially dispensing two items as normal.

If you want to have a single dispensing fee for two products in a template I don't think this is easily possible with the current system.... My only suggestion here is that I have long thought an improvement to templates would be ability to discount back within a template (either as either a fixed or % rate, at either the product or template level). This could let you set up the products as I have described above and then just discount back a dispensing fee which is inelegant but would achieve your aim if you are trying to do the single dispensing fee/2 items thing that I think you are trying to do.

 

Re: Linking Products Setup (and a feature request)

Thanks for your help. Sounds like I'm stuck with it as it is at the moment. 

Re: Linking Products Setup (and a feature request)

You can have all three charges in the template appear as a single item in the printed invoice by ticking the Print Aggregate flag in the template.

Re: Linking Products Setup (and a feature request)

Thanks, I'd managed to find that.

But the issue isn't the appearance on the invoice (though if you could guide me on how to control the order that things appear in that would be much appreciated). But rather just the usability of having 1 line vs 3 on the invoice. Easier to check the invoice for errors. Trying to make life easier for my team.

Re: Linking Products Setup (and a feature request)

You can order invoices by product type, if you have:

1. selected Use Product Types in the Letterhead & Document Control.

2. assigned a numeric order to the Invoice Sort Order field of each Product Type.

 

 

Re: Linking Products Setup (and a feature request)

Thanks, I'll give it a try. Much appreciated.

Re: Linking Products Setup (and a feature request)

Firstly you can avoid min qty one issues right now by using dosing.  Basically set a min at 2 or whatever is realistic and no one except an admin with override can sell 1. 

Secondly in the cases where an animal needs a complex dose regime like the apoquel one that you mentioned.  If this was happening each week I would say that it's needed.

Otherwise 

As Tim mentioned use a template - use doses and then just remove 1 fixed fee from either product (this represents the extra dispensing...   At least this way - there is no risk of undercharge - the risk is overcharge...which I don't know about your vets but that is never an issue with ours...

As far as order on invoices you have 2 options either group them by the patient and then type or I think the other option is the order they are added.  

In theory, if you modify the template you can order them however you want. 

Regards
 
Ben 
OpenVPMS Installer and Helper 
Ph: +61423044823 
Email: info[at]charltonit.com[dot]au

Re: Linking Products Setup (and a feature request)

Thanks Ben. I'll have a look at the invoice order tomorrow. 

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