The Chewy.com application is displayed in the on an Apple iPhone.
Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Chewy, the e-commerce pet-goods giant best known for its convenient auto-ship services and generous return policies, wants to grow its veterinary telehealth service as part of an overall push into health care.
While the telehealth service is a small part of the company’s rapidly expanding health offerings, it is important to its strategy. Yet it also faces regulatory obstacles and skepticism from the veterinary community. Longtime veterinarians told CNBC the service can have some benefit for minor situations, or for people who don’t have easy access to vet care. But it could create problems for pets, too, they said.
Chewy’s service, called Connect With a Vet, has experienced significant growth, but it’s been limited by a specific kind of regulation known as the veterinary client patient relationship, or VCPR, according to Chewy CEO Sumit Singh.
“If you look at our Connect With…
2023-01-28 12:15:31 Chewy Connect With a Vet faces criticism, legal hurdles
Source from www.cnbc.com Recently, the launch of Chewy Connect With a Vet was met with criticism and legal hurdles. Chewy Connect With a Vet is a program sponsored by Chewy, Inc., the well known pet supplies and products distribution company. Through this program, Chewy aimed to offer its customers access to remote veterinary services from licensed veterinarians.
Citing the ability to provide more affordable and convenient access to veterinary services, Chewy’s idea of providing veterinary services to pet owners quickly drew criticism. Opponents of the program have argued that Chewy lacks the expertise, training, and experience to provide veterinary services and that the program would result in inferior care for pets.
Furthermore, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has requested that Chewy terminate this program, citing legal and ethical concerns, including a lack of oversight and standards of care. In response, Chewy has stated that the services are provided by licensed veterinarians and that they have taken the AVMA’s concerns into account.
As it stands, several states have recently introduced or enacted legislation which would regulate the practice of telemedicine for pets. This legislation seeks to establish standards of care and requires veterinarians to be licensed in the state in which the services are provided.
Despite the legal hurdles that the program has faced, Chewy has stated that they believe their program will further increase access to veterinary services and improve pet care. It remains to be seen how this program will develop and how it will affect the veterinary industry.