Softwr

Veterinary · head to head

ImproMed vs RxWorks

I

ImproMed

Veterinary

On-premise Windows practice management with deep inventory and financial reporting, now inside Covetrus

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
R

RxWorks

Veterinary

Server-based practice management with a corporate group heritage in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ImproMed it is a server-based Windows product, so the practice owns the hardware, the SQL database, the patching and the backup regime, and those costs never appear in the software quotation.; RxWorks it is a legacy line inside Covetrus, which promotes Pulse as its strategic cloud product, so the practical question is not capability but how long the system will be supported and on what notice.
  • They diverge on capability: ImproMed covers Multi-location inventory, RxWorks covers Multi-site group operation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ImproMed and RxWorks actually diverge.

Attributes where ImproMed and RxWorks differ
AttributeImproMedRxWorks

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Veterinary).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ImproMed

  • Multi-location inventory
  • Production reporting
  • Wellness plans
  • Laboratory and imaging integration
  • On-premise deployment
  • Covetrus prescription management

Only in RxWorks

  • Multi-site group operation
  • Dispensing and stock control
  • Client accounts
  • On-premise database
  • Regional configuration
  • Laboratory integration

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ImproMed

  • A multi-doctor hospital carrying significant inventory value that needs reorder points and vendor price comparisonnot RxWorks
  • A practice manager who has to analyse production by veterinary surgeon and reconcile it against the general ledgernot RxWorks
  • A hospital in an area with unreliable internet that will not put the appointment book and records on a cloud connectionnot RxWorks
  • A small group running wellness plans that need recurring billing and compliance tracking against patientsnot RxWorks

RxWorks

  • A practice joining an Australian, New Zealand or United Kingdom group that already standardises on RxWorksnot ImproMed
  • A group that needs consolidated reporting and centrally controlled price lists across many sitesnot ImproMed
  • A mixed or large animal practice that runs account customers on credit terms rather than payment at the time of servicenot ImproMed
  • A site that cannot rely on its internet connection and needs the clinical record held locallynot ImproMed

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ImproMed

  • It is a server-based Windows product, so the practice owns the hardware, the SQL database, the patching and the backup regime, and those costs never appear in the software quotation.
  • Covetrus markets Pulse as its strategic cloud platform while holding three legacy practice management systems, so ask directly what development ImproMed still receives and get the support commitment and end-of-life notice period in writing.
  • Remote and mobile access is weak compared with cloud systems, which matters for on-call work, home record review and multi-site groups sharing patients.
  • The interface is dense and dated, and training a new receptionist or technician on it takes materially longer than on a modern cloud system.
  • If Covetrus does steer customers to Pulse, the migration is a full data conversion with retraining, so the cost of the eventual move should be priced into the decision now rather than later.

RxWorks

  • It is a legacy line inside Covetrus, which promotes Pulse as its strategic cloud product, so the practical question is not capability but how long the system will be supported and on what notice.
  • It is a Windows server product, so the group carries hardware, database, patching and backup costs that never appear in the software quotation.
  • Its relevance is regional: outside Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom the installed base and the support and consultant network are thin, which matters for a group expanding into new markets.
  • Remote and mobile working is poor compared with cloud systems, which is a growing problem as groups centralise administration and clinicians expect record access away from the practice.
  • The eventual migration off it will be a full data conversion with retraining across every site, and at group scale that project cost should be modelled now rather than treated as a future problem.

Pricing, plan by plan

ImproMed

On request
  • ImproMed Infinity$undefined/year
    • Quoted per practice with a licence and an annual support agreement
    • Server hardware and database licensing are the responsibility of the practice
    • Data conversion and training charged separately

RxWorks

On request
  • RxWorks$undefined/year
    • Quoted per site, normally under a group agreement
    • Annual support and maintenance charged separately
    • Server infrastructure is the responsibility of the practice or group

Which should you pick?

Choose ImproMed if

  • You need multi-location inventory.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want production reporting.
ImproMed review

Choose RxWorks if

  • You need multi-site group operation.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want dispensing and stock control.
RxWorks review

Questions people ask

Is ImproMed or RxWorks better?
Neither clearly leads. ImproMed starts at On request and RxWorks at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ImproMed or RxWorks?
ImproMed starts at On request and RxWorks at On request.
Does ImproMed or RxWorks run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is ImproMed best used for?
ImproMed is most often used for a multi-doctor hospital carrying significant inventory value that needs reorder points and vendor price comparison, a practice manager who has to analyse production by veterinary surgeon and reconcile it against the general ledger, a hospital in an area with unreliable internet that will not put the appointment book and records on a cloud connection, a small group running wellness plans that need recurring billing and compliance tracking against patients. Of those, a multi-doctor hospital carrying significant inventory value that needs reorder points and vendor price comparison and a practice manager who has to analyse production by veterinary surgeon and reconcile it against the general ledger are not what RxWorks is typically brought in for.
What can ImproMed do that RxWorks cannot?
ImproMed covers Multi-location inventory, Production reporting, Wellness plans, Laboratory and imaging integration. RxWorks covers Multi-site group operation, Dispensing and stock control, Client accounts, On-premise database.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ImproMed: Is ImproMed still being developed?

Ask Covetrus for a release history and a written support commitment. Pulse is the stated strategic cloud product, and ImproMed, AVImark and RxWorks are all legacy systems in the same portfolio.

RxWorks: Should a new practice adopt RxWorks today?

Generally no, unless you are joining a group that already runs it. A new independent practice should be evaluating cloud systems instead.

ImproMed: Can it run in the cloud?

It is designed for an on-premise server. Hosting it on a remote desktop service is possible but it is not a native cloud application and does not behave like one.

RxWorks: Is it still supported?

Covetrus supports it, but Pulse is the stated strategic product. Ask for the support commitment and the end-of-life notice period as written contract terms.

ImproMed: What is it better at than cloud alternatives?

Inventory control and financial and production reporting. Practices with high stock value and several veterinary surgeons are the ones that notice the difference.

RxWorks: Where is it actually used?

Mostly Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, heavily within corporate practice groups. It has very little presence in the United States.

ImproMed: What happens to my data if we move to Pulse?

A conversion project. Establish before signing what Covetrus will convert, what it will not, and who pays for it.

RxWorks: What does migration off it involve?

A full clinical and financial data conversion per site plus retraining. At group scale that is a programme of work, not a weekend.

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