Pharmacy Software

What is Pharmacy Software?

Retail and long-term care pharmacies use pharmacy software to streamline operations and repetitive tasks. From inventory management to regulatory compliance, pharmacy software is designed to manage every aspect of the pharmacy business. These solutions include business-critical capabilities, such as advance expiry alerts, automated sales operations, and purchase tracking. They can also help pharmacy owners to plan and monitor employee work hours.

Pharmacies must maintain high-quality, safe, timely, and efficient operations. Pharmacy software solutions can help pharmacists eliminate human errors, verify insurance and medicines, communicate with suppliers and health care providers, and advise patients. These software tools have become indispensable to help pharmacies devote more time to patient care while meeting compliance and business requirements.

Pharmacy tools help pharmacists communicate information about prescription drugs more effectively and provide patients with a more personalized experience. Pharmacy software can be integrated with Medical Office EMR & EHR Software, Assisted Living Software, Home Health Care Software, and Hospital Management Systems to facilitate patient care.

Pharmacy Software Features

• Automated refills
• Barcode generation & scanning
• Billing & accounting
• Clinical communication
• Customized workflows
• Drug database
• Drug verification
• EHR integration
• Electronic signature
• E-prescribing
• HIPAA compliant fax service
• Inventory management
• Medical document management
• Notes and charts
• Patient portal
• Payment processing
• Pharmacy software solutions often include the following features:
• POS
• Prescription management
• Prior authorization
• Reporting & Analytics
• Rx image scanning
• Streamlined operations
• Tracking of controlled medications

Pharmacy Software Comparison

Pharmaceutical businesses are highly regulated and must meet high demands to be profitable. There are numerous pharmacy software systems on the market and selecting the best one for your company is essential. When choosing a pharmacy software application, there are a few things to consider

Integration. If your pharmacy software cannot interface with your other systems, it will be ineffective. Electronic medical records, medical billing, invoicing, subscription management, and accounting are just some of the systems that will need seamless integrations. If your pharmacy works with hospitals or long-term care, the solutions you consider should also be able to integrate with management systems that handle patient care.

Type of operation. The type of pharmacy operation you have will also determine many of the features you will need.

Independent, single-store retail pharmacies need features such as:

• Compliance management
• Document management
• Inventory tracking
• New prescription management
• POS system
• Refill management

Long-term care pharmacies, which serve nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospices, will need additional services, such as Medicare and Medicaid billing.

Mail order and retail chain pharmacies need virtual services to verify insurance, prescribers, and patients and provide patient and prescriber portals. They also typically need to manage teams and orders across locations and warehouses.

There are also specialty pharmacy services that handle expensive medications to treat cancer or rare illnesses. These pharmaceuticals usually have special storage requirements, increased regulation, and processing restrictions. The software solutions you consider should include capabilities that can be customized to better support these unique applications, and address inherent safety concerns.

Technical support. The pharmaceutical sector is complex and competitive. Pharmacy software is not only crucial to today's pharmacy operations, but staff members must use it correctly. From installation to operation and troubleshooting, continuous customer support is a necessity. Opt for software supported by a professional customer service team. Also, see if there is any training assistance available.

Start a pharmacy software comparison here.

Pricing Information

Pricing for pharmacy software ranges widely, depending on the level of services needed--either for retail or long-term care operations. Solutions may be billed monthly, annually, per user, or may have a one-time license fee. A few free options exist for smaller operations. Many solutions can be selected as add-on modules to larger software bundles for little or no additional cost.

Base plans begin around $10/user/month or $100/year. More comprehensive solutions can range from $1000 to $10,000 per month or $7500 to $25,000 for one-time fees. Many vendors do not provide public pricing information but will offer free trials and custom quotes.