The inflationary pressures we are seeing in the broader economy dont affect just gas prices. In the near future, veterinarians will see the price of film and chemicals rise. 

Human and veterinary private practices and clinics, along with many large hospitals, have been converting their operations over to digital.  Hospitals that had once required thousands of gallons of processing chemicals per month now require none.  This has greatly impacted the chemical companies as the demand for their products have been drastically cut.  The chemical companies have passed their losses on to the service companies, who ultimately pass that on to their clients.
    
Last year processor chemical prices increased an average of 4%.  That was somewhat a hit to customers, however this year we have already been informed by the chemical companies that we will see yet another 10% increase in the cost of chemicals.  There does not appear to be an end to these increases in the near future.  So far, we have not realized a real increase in the cost of x-ray film, however silver has doubled in value over the past year also, from around $8.00 an ounce to $16.00 an ounce.  This will eventually increase the price you pay for x-ray film as well.

Many clinics have been giving serious thought as to whether going digital would be a practical option for their business.  The obvious reason for upgrading to a digital system is that it is the newest technology available to veterinary professionals.  Perhaps a not so obvious reason is that while the cost of purchasing a digital system has been coming down some, the expense of maintaining a film based system is actually going up faster.

Artcle Submitted by:

J. Greg Welsh, V.P.
West Coast X-Ray, Inc.    

If you have any questions we may assist you with, please call us at 800-300-XRAY(9729), or visit us online at www.wcxray.com.  West Coast X-Ray, Inc. has been proudly serving veterinary professionals since 1988.