# Set Up Products and Services

Build the catalogue every other screen picks from — products, medications and services, their prices, stock tracking, and medical-record availability.

This is the catalogue the rest of Veterian picks from. Treatments, prescriptions and invoice lines are all chosen from here rather than typed, so an item that is not in the catalogue cannot be recorded on a visit or sold on an invoice.

That makes this the setup step to do before the clinic starts working in the software.

## Where to Find This Section

**Products & Services** in the left menu, which holds three lists: **Products**, **Medications** and **Services**.

They are three views of one catalogue, not three separate systems. A single **New Product & Service** button creates any of them.

## The Three Types

The first step of the form is **Select Product Type**, and the type decides which fields you are asked for afterwards.

| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| **Product** | *Select this option to create new product into your product list.* |
| **Service** | *Select this option to create new service that you will offer to your customers.* |
| **Medication** | *Select this option to create new medication. Medications are products that are used to treat diseases and conditions.* |

> **Note**
> The type is chosen when the item is created. If you pick the wrong one, create the item again under the right type rather than trying to convert it.

## How to Add an Item

1. Open **Products & Services** → **New Product & Service**.
2. Choose the type.
3. Fill in the details, the price, and — for products and medications — the stock.
4. Save.

## The Details

| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| **Categories** | Required. *Select the categories for the product or service. You can select more than one category.* |
| **Name** | Required. What your team will search for |
| **Barcode**, **Code**, **Serial Number**, **Supplier** | Optional |
| **Notes** | Optional, for your team |

> **Caution**
> At least one category is required — *You must select at least one category.* Categories are what the lists filter and group by, so it is worth agreeing on them before entering a few hundred items. They are managed under **Definitions** → **Product Categories**.

### Included in Medical Record

**Included in Medical Record** is the switch that connects this catalogue to the clinical side: *Enable this product to be used in medical records.*

This is the setting behind a question that comes up often — *why can I not find this product when recording a treatment?* The pickers on a visit show only items with this switch on: *Only products marked as available for medical records are displayed.*

Turn it on for anything a vet administers or prescribes. Leave it off for retail stock that is only ever sold, such as toys or accessories.

## Prices

**Sale Price** and **Tax (%)** are both required. **Is Tax Included** says whether the price you just typed already has tax in it, and the form shows the resulting **Without Tax Price**, **Tax Included Price** and **Tax Amount** so you can check it before saving.

**Cost Price** is optional. Enter it and the form also shows **Profitability** for the item.

> **Note**
> This is the default price. It can still be changed on an individual invoice line, so a one-off price does not require editing the catalogue.

## Stock Tracking

Products and medications carry stock; services do not.

**Quantity** and **Qty. Unit** are required when stock tracking is on, which it is by default on a new item. Units are **Piece**, **Box** and **Bottle**.

**Critical Stock Limit** is optional and worth setting: *The current stock is below the critical stock limit. Please restock the product.*

You do not keep the quantity up to date by hand. Selling an item on an invoice and recording it as a treatment both move stock on their own. See [Create an invoice](/billing/create-an-invoice) and [Record a treatment](/visits/record-a-treatment).

> **Caution**
> Stock tracking can be switched off for an item you do not count — but then Veterian will not warn you when it runs out, and the item's stock figures read *This product's stock tracking is not enabled.*

To correct a count after a stocktake, use **New Stock Adjustment** on the item rather than editing the original quantity.

## Medications

Medications ask for a little more, because a dose has to be meaningful: the packing and the concentration, each with its unit, and an optional expiration date. Fill these in as they appear on the box.

## Related

- [Record a treatment](/visits/record-a-treatment) — where medications and products reach a patient
- [Write a prescription](/visits/write-a-prescription) — the other picker fed by this catalogue
- [Create an invoice](/billing/create-an-invoice) — selling from it, and what happens when stock is short