The software contract terms your vendor’s agreement leaves out.
A one-page-attachment addendum for veterinary practices buying or renewing practice management software. It adds the exit, data portability, data use, and renewal terms vendor paper typically omits - and leaves the rest of their agreement alone.
Want the reasoning first? Read the annotated clause-by-clause commentary.
Get the free Buyer's Addendum
The editable Word document, delivered immediately.
Vendor agreements are written by one side of the table.
The standard PIMS agreement is silent on what happens when you leave: what an export costs, what format your records arrive in, who pays for a botched migration, and what the renewal price will be. The addendum puts those answers in writing on the day you sign, when you still have leverage - not on the day you need them.
A complete, machine-readable copy of your practice data on request, plus a self-serve export the vendor cannot quietly degrade.
No selling, aggregating, or AI training on your practice data without your written consent - superseding any buried grant.
Documented read access to your data at no recurring charge, and a public statement of supported interfaces and export formats.
Test migrations, written acceptance criteria, and a rule that whoever produced a defective extract pays to fix it.
A 90-day read-only window after termination, at a flat fee fixed on the day you sign - not quoted on the day you leave.
120-day renewal notice, a 60-day decline window, and a price escalation cap that overrides “then-current list rates.”
Three steps, and the vendor’s paper stays otherwise alone.
The addendum attaches to the vendor’s own agreement instead of replacing it, which is exactly why it is realistic to get signed.
Attach it before pricing is final
Send it with your quote request or renewal response with one sentence: “Our practice signs new agreements and renewals with the attached Veterinary Software Buyer's Addendum, version 1.0.”
Complete Exhibit A with the vendor
The addendum works by putting numbers in writing today - export fees, the read-only window fee, migration rates - because an unpriced right is a quote you have not seen yet.
Hand the package to your attorney
A ready-made cover note for your counsel is included, so the review of the vendor's agreement, the addendum, and Exhibit A is fast.
Written by a buyer’s side that has read the fine print.
VetSoftwareHub tracks 225+ veterinary solutions across 25+ categories. Adam Wysocki brings 35 years in software and roughly a decade in veterinary technology, reading these agreements for a living. We accept no PIMS referral fees, commissions, or affiliate revenue - and the addendum is published under an open license so the whole industry can use it.
Is this legal advice?
No. The addendum was written by a software consultant who reads these agreements for a living, not by an attorney, and VetSoftwareHub is not a law firm. It is a starting position designed to be reviewed by your own counsel before you sign - a cover note for that handoff is included.
Will vendors actually accept it?
The addendum leaves the vendor's license grant, warranty, liability, and venue provisions untouched - it only adds the exit, portability, data use, and renewal mechanics vendor templates typically omit. If a vendor negotiates the numbers in Exhibit A, that is what the numbers are for. The mechanisms are the point.
Can I use it at renewal, not just for a new purchase?
Yes. It is designed for both new agreements and renewals, and the renewal notice and price cap sections matter most for practices staying on their current system.
Can I adapt it for my practice or group?
Yes. The addendum is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license - free to use, adapt, and redistribute with attribution to VetSoftwareHub.com. VetSoftwareHub accepts no referral fees or affiliate compensation from any software vendor.
Negotiating a PIMS contract right now?
The PIMS Selection Navigator pairs the addendum with workflow mapping, comparable demos, vendor validation, and contract guidance from an independent partner.
See the Navigator process