24.8.4. Too Young for Rabies

Rabies Vaccines Administered to Patients Too Young for Certification

In certain cases, rabies vaccines may be administered off-label to patients that are too young to qualify for a valid rabies certificate. Because rabies vaccines are strictly regulated, their product names must align with official regulatory standards. As such, we cannot add line items with alternate names to cover this use case. Instead, we suggest following the ASPCA's protocol for rabies vaccines where no certificate is issued due to age.

Rabies Vaccines - No Certificate Issued Protocol

1. Use the standard rabies vaccine service item on the appointment (when the vaccine is still administered).
2. Use a custom medical short note to document that no certificate is to be issued due to age.
3. This note will appear in the external client communication field and will ensure clear documentation for both staff and clients.

Setting up the Custom Field Medical Note

A custom medical note can be created to inform owners if the vaccine was administered and no certificate was issued, or if the vaccine was not administered due to age. Here's how to set that up:

1. Go to Settings > Custom Fields.
2. Click Create New Field.
3. Add the field title, such as "Too Young for Rabies".
4. Assign the field to an existing medical custom field group, such as Biological, or create your own medical group.
5. Set the Control Type to Dropdown list.
6. Fill in the other field prompts.
7. Add the dropdown values. In the Value column, enter an option for if the vaccine is given, but no certificate is issued and one for when the vaccine is not given.
8. Enter a description for each value. This is what will be generated on their take home paperwork.
9. Save your custom field. Check out our detailed guide on creating custom fields HERE.

Here's an example of what these notes can look like:

Once you have created the field, you will now be able to apply it to appointments via the Medical Notes Short Tag sections in Patient Flow. Selecting the medical tag will auto-fill the description you entered during your custom field setup to the External Client Communication field and take home paperwork. Lastly, we recommend combining your rabies certificates into the Visit Summary/Take home paperwork, rather than issuing a standalone certificate for increased efficiency.