Vet Practice Software Contracts: Run the Data-Exit Check
Someone at the clinic asks a simple question: if we ever switched systems, what would we actually get back? Patient records, client history, invoices, and reminders all run through one practice management system, and the contract that governs leaving it was often signed years ago and filed out of sight. Nobody has done anything wrong. The clinic simply has never asked. The question is timely. In February 2026, Covetrus, which offers practice management systems including Pulse, AVImark, and Impromed, announced a proposed merger with Cencora's MWI Animal Health in a deal valuing MWI at a $3.5 billion enterprise value. The Federal Trade Commission is reviewing it. Cencora reported receiving a request for additional information from the FTC on May 20, 2026, and news reports in August said the FTC had sent information requests to customers and competitors that included questions about veterinary practice-management software. No enforcement action or decision has been announced, and this page makes no prediction about the outcome or any company's conduct. The useful point for an owner is narrower: the deal is not yours to control, but your paperwork is.
Listen
Choose a platform
The Problem
Someone at the clinic asks a simple question: if we ever switched systems, what would we actually get back? Patient records, client history, invoices, and reminders all run through one practice management system, and the contract that governs leaving it was often signed years ago and filed out of sight. Nobody has done anything wrong. The clinic simply has never asked. The question is timely. In February 2026, Covetrus, which offers practice management systems including Pulse, AVImark, and Impromed, announced a proposed merger with Cencora's MWI Animal Health in a deal valuing MWI at a $3.5 billion enterprise value. The Federal Trade Commission is reviewing it. Cencora reported receiving a request for additional information from the FTC on May 20, 2026, and news reports in August said the FTC had sent information requests to customers and competitors that included questions about veterinary practice-management software. No enforcement action or decision has been announced, and this page makes no prediction about the outcome or any company's conduct. The useful point for an owner is narrower: the deal is not yours to control, but your paperwork is.
The Playbook
Run a data-exit check. It works with any vendor, whether you use one of the products in the news, a competitor, or a cloud system. 1. Send four questions in writing to your software account contact. What can we export, in what format, and can you send us a sample? Name the pieces: patients, clients, notes, invoices, reminders, and images. Who performs the export, how long does it take, and is there a fee? What notice and terms apply if we leave, and what happens to our data afterward, including written confirmation when it has been deleted on your side? If ownership of your company or this product changes, what will we be told, when, and can we leave? 2. File the answers in one folder with the contract. Date each answer. If the vendor says it will follow up, log the answer as pending and set a dated follow-up. 3. Put one test date on the calendar, once a year. Request a sample export, open it, and spot-check a few patients your team knows well: confirm their visit notes, invoices, upcoming reminders, and attached images are present, readable, and still linked to the right client and pet. 4. Have an attorney read the actual agreement. The four questions gather facts in writing. They do not interpret your contract. This is business-operations guidance, not legal, contract, or compliance advice.
Download the Software Data-Exit Check
Grab the tool from this episode: it downloads the instant you submit and lands in your inbox too. Just your email — no account, nothing to unsubscribe from unless you opt in below.
Sources & Data
- Cencora, Form 8-K exhibit 99.1, "Covetrus and MWI Animal Health to merge," published 2026-02-18.
- Cencora, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 2026-06-30.
- PYMNTS / CPI post summarizing Bloomberg reporting, published 2026-08-04.
- Hoodline news report, published 2026-08-04.
- Vet Candy news report, published 2026-08-06.