Case Study
Veterinary Controlled Substance Management

How Quinebaug Valley Veterinary Hospital Reduced Annual Drug and Supply Spend by $64,000 with CUBEX

Tower, Flex, Qlock
CUBEX Solutions
2
Full time DVMs
Case Study
Veterinary Controlled Substance Management

How Quinebaug Valley Veterinary Hospital Reduced Annual Drug and Supply Spend by $64,000 with CUBEX

2
Full time DVMs
Tower, Flex, Qlock
CUBEX Solutions
“Our existing approach was no longer sustainable. We needed something more secure and reliable—not just to manage controlled drugs, but to ensure compliance and protect the practice.”
Becky
Quinebaug Valley Veterinary Hospital
Discover how CUBEX helped a two-DVM veterinary hospital eliminate manual controlled substance workflows, achieve full regulatory compliance, and turn inventory into a measurable financial advantage.
Quinebaug Valley Veterinary Hospital, Danielson, CT
The Challenge

How Manual Processes and Compliance Risks Were Undermining Controlled Substance Management

For Quinebaug Valley Veterinary Hospital, managing inventory and controlled substances had become an unsustainable burden. With a lean two-DVM team, the hospital couldn’t afford for clinical staff to spend valuable time buried in handwritten logs, manual reconciliations, and the daily anxiety of not knowing whether counts were accurate. Yet that was exactly the reality Becky and Danielle faced when they began evaluating their options.

The hospital’s approach to controlled substance management relied entirely on manual workflows—staff memory, handwritten drug logs, and time-consuming physical counts that introduced risk at every step. There was no reliable system to ensure accountability, no automated trail for DEA or PMP reporting, and no visibility into what was being used, wasted, or going unaccounted for. The exposure wasn’t just operational—it was regulatory. And without real-time data, the financial cost of waste, missed charges, and inefficient ordering continued to quietly erode the practice’s bottom line.

Manual Controlled Substance Logs
Staff relied on handwritten records and memory to track controlled drugs, creating significant compliance risk and leaving the practice vulnerable during DEA and PMP audits.
No Accountability or Access Controls
Without role-based access, there was no reliable system to restrict who could access medications or automatically log who took what—making discrepancies difficult to detect or address.
Inventory Waste and Missed Charges
Without consumption visibility, medication waste went untracked, charge capture was inconsistent, and the true cost of supplies was impossible to measure or manage
Unsustainable Staff Burden
Manual reconciliation, double-checking logs, and searching for missing inventory pulled clinical staff away from patient care—a costly trade-off in a two-DVM practice where every minute matters.
The Solution

CUBEX Delivered Automated Inventory Control and Compliance Built for Veterinary Practice

After evaluating their needs, Becky and Danielle went all-in on CUBEX—not just to solve a compliance problem, but to transform how the entire practice managed inventory, finances, and operational efficiency. CUBEX implemented a complete solution built around their specific environment: Tower, Flex, and Q-Lock units working in concert to bring automation and accountability to every controlled substance transaction.

The value extended well beyond regulatory compliance. CUBEX’s integrated platform gave Quinebaug Valley the tools to eliminate waste, improve charge capture, and significantly reduce their overall cost of goods—turning what had been an area of risk and guesswork into a tightly managed, data-driven operation.

Their CUBEX Solution:
Solution Items:
  1. Automated Digital Drug Logs — Every controlled substance transaction is logged automatically at the point of dispensing, eliminating handwritten records and creating a complete, auditable history that satisfies DEA and PMP reporting requirements.
  2. Restricted, Role-Based Access — Medication cabinets open only for authorized users and only dispense the specific drug selected—ensuring accountability for every item removed and dramatically reducing the risk of diversion or discrepancy.
  3. Always-Current Inventory Counts — Real-time counts are maintained automatically across Tower, Flex, and Q-Lock units, giving staff instant visibility into what’s on hand without manual audits or physical recounts.
  4. Automated Reordering — Par-level triggers initiate replenishment automatically, eliminating the guesswork of manual ordering cycles and ensuring critical medications are always available when patients need them.
  5. Built-In Compliance Reporting — Timely, accurate DEA and PMP reports are generated automatically, removing the administrative burden from clinical staff and reducing the risk of compliance gaps during inspections.
Results & Benefits
How Automation and Accountability Changed the Entire Practice

Since going live with CUBEX, Quinebaug Valley Veterinary Hospital has seen measurable improvements across inventory efficiency, financial performance, compliance confidence, and the day-to-day experience of working in the practice. A 7–8% reduction in supply spend translated directly into approximately $64,000 in annual savings—and that’s only part of the story.

How Automation and Accountability Changed the Entire Practice

Since going live with CUBEX, Quinebaug Valley Veterinary Hospital has seen measurable improvements across inventory efficiency, financial performance, compliance confidence, and the day-to-day experience of working in the practice. A 7–8% reduction in supply spend translated directly into approximately $64,000 in annual savings—and that’s only part of the story.

$64,000 in Annual Savings
Tighter inventory controls and automation reduced annual drug and supply spend by 7–8%, turning an area of financial leakage into a controlled, optimized cost center with real, trackable savings.
50% Reduction in Inventory Management Time
With automated counts, digital logs, and real-time dashboards replacing manual processes, staff reclaimed hours previously lost to reconciliation and searching—time now reinvested in patient care.
75% Less Inventory Loss
Automated dispensing and restricted access dramatically reduced waste, shrinkage, and expired product, preserving medication value and improving charge capture across the practice.
90% Less Expired Product
Accurate, always-current inventory counts and proactive reordering mean medications are used in the right sequence and quantities—virtually eliminating expiration-related losses.
Fully Automated, Auditable DEA Reporting
Compliance is no longer a manual exercise or a source of anxiety. Every transaction is logged, every report is generated automatically, and the practice is inspection-ready at all times.
Greater Staff Confidence and Operational Clarity
With uncertainty removed from the equation, clinical staff work with confidence—no more hesitation about whether counts are right, whether paperwork is complete, or whether medications will be there when needed.

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About CUBEX

CUBEX is an automated inventory management platform for veterinary hospitals. Combining secure smart devices with purpose-built software, CUBEX tracks every dispense in real time, supports controlled substance compliance, reduces waste and stockouts, and streamlines replenishment through connected workflows, including integrations with leading PIMS and supplier ordering platforms. The result is less manual work, better inventory control, and more time back for veterinary teams. Learn more →