So, I inderstand Quest Dx is now starting animal testing in some areas. Anyone know what is up with this? Where are they and how are the job ops? is this competition for Antech or are they doing different things? How can they compare work done in a human lab (animal tests) to work done in a vet lab? any info?
I've heard this mentioned before- but nothing significant has ever come out of it. Per their website, it looks like their only veterinary testing location is out of PA: http://www.questdiagnostics.com/hcp/vet/ Considering the amount of other labs with Antech/Idexx nationwide, and the areas which are already covered- I can't see this being a real concern right now.
I have not seen much activity from them in my area although I have been told that there is a rep, maybe a couple of them, in the area and they have been making some effort. I have not seen one pick up box at any clinics in my area. I was told their pricing looks good but if you work it out, it actually sucks. I don;t think we have anything to worry about. One of the vets at a hosp I go to says he knows the manager who is spearheading this and he/she is kind of a jerk. Other than pricing, I am not sure what their selling point is, particularly since they only have one testing location?
According to financial reports, Antech currently has 70% of the market in vet lab testing. Even iof Quest's effort has some success, it will take a very long time for them to catch up. Additionally, our services and echnology are evolving continuously to be the most competitive in the marketplace. If what you say is true, that the only lab is PA, they should give up now. In order to compete, they will have to do better than that. If they can, all the more power to them, but I don;t think it will be anytime soon, if at all. I wonder how well they even understand the veterinary market? One of the good things about Antech is VCA and the progressive medicine that is put forth, which empowers the lab technology to evolve in a timely manner. Anyone out there know where Quest is promoting their service. Is it PA area only?
I highly doubt that the animal industry will be Quests focus for growth. Not only have highly specialized pioneers in the animal lab world been around for much longer and have saturated the market share...but the animal lab industry is not 1/10th as profitable as the human market! Quest wont invest their time or money! I am a rep for a competitive lab on the human side...and have combined 12 years worth of experience in the vet industry as a technician and as a vet pharmaceutical rep. Trust me...without insurance reimbursement on the animal side...Quest will be giving their tests away! I suspect they bought out a tiny regional lab that did animal testing on the side...and so they are testing out the market. I hope vets do not give into this...it wont be any different than walgreens targetting the animal prescriptions. Vets end up selling themselves and theyre industry out...because ultimately they compromise the value of their profession and industry.
you are right. they bought a regional lab in PA and are planning to work out of that lab and offer services in the NE. I can't get a good feel for the reception outside of the PA area, but ANtech has the market in my area. I don't know how big their operation is, and there was a rep in CT although my vet friends say after some initial contact, they have not heard from nor seen her at all. They said there was a mailing of some sort and that the prices look good, but in the end it is not any less expensive than Antech, and without stat service or twice a day pick up. They can't compete in this area. Maybe in areas where there is less competition? I wonder how long they will support this venture. anyone out there had any contact in their area with a Quest Vet rep??
The person running the division is someone from a aquisition. I spoke to her, and she has many years of experiance, and sounds like she knows what she is doing. It is a PA based lab, that started with a Q, I do not remember the name. She said she was hiring several reps.
Her name is Diane Miller. I know her from work in other places. I worked with her at another company a few years ago. She is a complete snow-jobber. Talks a good streak but is extremely unprofessional. Has no idea what she is doing and CAN NOT manage people to save her life. I understand she has, in less than a year, already hired and lost reps. The lab in Pa was a human lab that was doing some vet work on the side. Quest bought it and is trying to build up the vet business. Not sure if it is local or more wide spread but it won;t happen either way if they keep Diane there. She will kill it.
Anyone have any new news on this little venture of Quest's . saw they were at a couple of meetings recently. Wondering how far out they have reached and if there is any feedback. Heard the manager can't keep reps because the business plan is a mess. They don't even seem to have a website?? kind of messed up...do they think they can compete on any level with Antech?? curious...
They got this division through an older acquisitions...company has 0 plans to grow it...they will likely sell to Antech (they have sold labs to them in the past...about 5-6 years ago).
I think its great that finally Antech is getting theirs. Poor customer service and the "quanitity insufficient" catch all phrase for "I lost the specimen". I have also worked with Diane before. Staff love her and she knows her stuff. Quest took a huge deal away from Antech, I think they are slow to start but are serious players for the long haul. They have the infrastructure to support this venture. WE will see.
I wouldn't worry about Quest being a competitor honestly. As a long time breeder I'm finding more and more of our vets are using IDEXX for blood work, especially progesterone testing. The cost passed on by the vets for IDEXX progesterone testing is lower than the cost for Antech progesterone testing. If you don't know, we can do as low as 2 tests per breeding cycle or up to 7 if the bitch is a later ovulater. We stop testing once our girls go over 5.0 ng per ml. Some plateau and hover so we continue to test. It's becoming insanely expensive with vet costs being what they are today. Some NE and Central East US costs per 1 test can be as high as $153 or as low as $80. Average is $95 and we're lucky if we can get that price. That's w/o an office visit. The vet usually triples his or her cost and acts as if they're doing us a huge favor if they don't charge for an OV for a *run in the back* blood draw. Oh, let us not forget red bag waste charges at $5 and the claim some vets make about a 10% discount. Larger producing breeders or Puppy Mills use Camelot Farms *PreMate* and brush Antech or IDEXX out of the picture getting decent results with it. I don't draw blood and don't breed often enough to use PreMate. Care to share what you charge the vets for progesterone testing? You're Anonymous on here, no one would know who posted the cost. Last time I asked an Antech rep they said $32 but that was about 3 years ago. Any chance of running a special progesterone level price for breeders? It might bring you some of IDEXX's business and us breeders will push for your company to be used by our vets opposed to IDEXX. Even better, allow breeders to have their own accounts as some hospitals do that charge $25 - $50 per prog level. I bet your business would rise way above IDEXX's although many breeders claim their results are a bit more precise. TIA for any information or suggestions.
By working with breeders, this would mean that the greedy Antech corporation would actually need to care about what you are doing. They don't. They care about programming their reps to be price dropping little beggars. If the rep in your area were doing their job, they would try to earn that progesterone testing back from the vets who use Idexx by offering gutter low pricing. This would be a good start, but until it happens, you aren't going to be a priority to them. You shouldn't have any issues opening your own account, but you won't be given the same considerations with pricing.
