New Research: Vet Techs May Help Improve Access to Veterinary Care

Veterinary practices across the country are navigating growing challenges. Rising costs, longer appointment wait times, staffing shortages, and burnout are creating pressure across the industry, while many pet owners are struggling to access the care their pets need.

 

To better understand these dynamics, Penn Foster surveyed 206 credentialed veterinary technicians nationwide and paired those findings with consumer insights from more than 500 pet owners. The results point to an important reality: many veterinary technicians feel capable of taking on more responsibility, but practice structures and workflows often prevent them from fully utilizing their skills.

 

Key Takeaways

• Veterinary technicians are trained for more than many currently do. Many credentialed vet techs report feeling underutilized despite believing they are qualified to take on greater clinical responsibility, suggesting untapped potential already exists within practices.
• Internal barriers may be limiting access to care. Practice culture, workflow design, and policies are cited more often than regulations as obstacles preventing technicians from practicing to the top of their training.
• Expanding technician responsibilities could benefit practices and pet owners alike. Technicians and consumers are open to care models that better leverage vet tech expertise to improve efficiency and increase access.

 

To view the complete findings from Penn Foster’s research, explore the full report.

 

Access-to-care challenges are creating pressure across vet practices

 

For many pet owners, access to veterinary care is becoming increasingly difficult. Penn Foster consumer research found that 43% of pet owners have noticed higher prices at their veterinary clinic, while more than one-third (36%) said they delayed or skipped veterinary care during the past year.

 

Cost remains the biggest driver of delayed care, with nearly six in 10 pet owners who postponed treatment citing affordability concerns. Access itself is also becoming a challenge, with some owners reporting difficulty securing appointments in a timely manner.

 

The effects of these barriers extend beyond delayed visits. Nearly half of pet owners (44%) said they turned to supplements, home remedies, or over-the-counter products as alternatives to veterinary care they felt they could not access or afford. Meanwhile, 28% reported waiting three weeks or longer for an appointment, or being unable to secure one altogether.

 

While increasing demand is part of the challenge, these findings also raise another important question: are practices fully utilizing the talent already available within their teams?

 

Read more: Why Career Development Matters for Veterinary Technicians

 

Vet techs say they are ready to contribute more

 

Penn Foster's survey of credentialed veterinary technicians suggests many feel they have additional skills and capabilities that are not being fully leveraged in their current roles.

 

More than half (55%) say their clinical skills are at least moderately underutilized, while nearly one-third (31%) describe their skills as significantly or extremely underutilized.

 

At the same time, technicians generally feel confident in their qualifications. Eighty-eight percent say their current role mostly or completely reflects their training and education, suggesting the challenge may not be a lack of ability but rather how responsibilities are distributed within practice environments.

 

Many technicians also report spending much of their time directly assisting veterinarians during exams and procedures. While collaboration remains critical to patient care, this workflow structure can sometimes limit opportunities for technicians to independently apply the broader clinical skills they have developed.

 

Read more: Investing in Your Veterinary Team: A Guide to Professional Development and Beyond

 

Veterinary technicians increasingly want greater responsibility and autonomy

 

The research also reveals strong interest among veterinary technicians in expanding their roles.

 

Eighty percent say they are qualified to independently conduct vaccine administration and follow-ups. Seventy-eight percent believe they are qualified to independently conduct routine wellness exams, while 69% say they are ready to independently manage client education and care plans.

 

Technicians also expressed interest in broader responsibilities overall. More than half (55%) want expanded clinical responsibilities, nearly half (48%) want more direct interaction with clients, and 39% want greater autonomy in patient care.

 

These findings are not about replacing veterinarians. Instead, they point toward opportunities for practices to create team structures where each member can contribute at the highest level of their training and expertise.

 

Practice culture may be creating barriers to expanded vet tech roles

 

Interestingly, technicians identified internal factors more frequently than external ones when discussing barriers to greater responsibility.

 

Forty-four percent cited clinic culture that views technicians primarily as assistants, while 42% pointed to internal policies and protocols. Others identified veterinarian trust and comfort levels (38%) and staffing shortages (33%) as key obstacles.

 

State regulations ranked lower, with 30% identifying them as a challenge.

 

These findings suggest that many opportunities for change may already exist within individual practices. Rather than requiring large-scale regulatory shifts, practices may be able to improve utilization through adjustments to workflows, communication, and role design.

 

Read more: How Vet Tech Training Fights Burnout

 

Staffing challenges continue to affect both teams and patients

 

Technicians also described the broader impact of current staffing structures.

 

More than three-quarters (76%) say existing staffing models create at least some appointment limitations, while nearly half (46%) say those limitations are moderate to severe.

 

The consequences are familiar across the industry. Technicians report longer appointment wait times, increased staff burnout, and less time available for patient care as common outcomes of staffing challenges.

 

These issues affect more than operational efficiency. They can also influence retention. When technicians feel unable to fully use their skills or see opportunities for professional growth, practices may risk losing experienced team members they have already invested in developing.

 

Technician-led care models may offer new possibilities

 

Vet technicians also expressed strong support for care models that allow them to take on expanded responsibilities.

 

Seventy-one percent believe a tiered care approach, where technician-led visits supplement traditional veterinarian appointments, could improve both affordability and access for pet owners.

 

Consumer perspectives appear aligned with this idea. Penn Foster's pet owner research found that 77% of pet owners consider credentialed veterinary technicians highly valuable, while 65% say they have either scheduled or would consider scheduling an appointment directly with a credentialed technician.

 

Together, these findings suggest an opportunity worth exploring: one where practices can better align talent, patient needs, and operational efficiency.

 

Read more: Grow Your Vet Practice with Up-to-Date Vet Tech Training

 

What the Findings Mean for Veterinary Care

 

The research points toward an important shift in how practices may think about workforce strategy moving forward.

 

Addressing access-to-care challenges will likely require more than adding additional headcount. It may also involve rethinking how existing teams are structured and identifying opportunities for employees to contribute more fully.

 

For practices, that could mean evaluating technician workflows, reassessing policies that may unnecessarily limit responsibilities, and creating clearer pathways for professional growth.

 

Education and professional development also play an important role in helping veterinary technicians expand their skills and confidence over time. Penn Foster works with employers across the country to support technician training through flexible online education designed to help build and develop the future of the veterinary workforce.

 

As veterinary care continues to evolve, helping technicians practice at the top of their training may represent one of the most significant opportunities to improve access, strengthen teams, and support long-term sustainability across the profession.

 

Source and methodology: The veterinary technician survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Penn Foster from June 8–15, 2026 among 206 credentialed veterinary technicians ages 18 and older. Penn Foster's pet owner survey included 509 U.S. pet owners.