What to look for in a pharmacy software

Pharmacies are separate units by themselves in a medical center with a large number of functions and need effective management. 

If you are associated with a hospital or medical center, pilferages in pharmacies are regular occurrences. There are many ways in which stock movement and billing can be monitored. But, the best way to avoid pilferage is to have efficient pharmacy software coupled with strong processes. 

In this blog, let’s discuss what are some of the things to keep in mind while evaluating pharmacy software.

A good pharmacy software must have the following functionalities :

  • Access controls – 

The pharmacy software allows you to define different roles and levels of access to individuals using the system. This ensures that not everybody has access to every function in the software. 

The primary advantage of defined access controls is that anybody and everybody cannot update or edit bills and finances. The access is only available to those in administrator roles.

A good pharmacy software will have the ability to define such roles and functions for people on different levels.

  • Stock audit logs 

As an administrator, you would want to see the analytics of how the bills or stocks have changed over time. The pharmacy software allows you to view records of stock inflow, outflow, changes in volumes, pricing changes, number of bills, etc over the desired period of time.
Apart from allowing administrators to have better control over stock movement and changes in finance, A good software should also allow the administrator to monitor when and by whom changes were made to bills or stocks. 

  • Transparency through inter-connected systems – 

One of the common issues faced by hospitals is that the pharmacy is an individual unit functioning separately. The pharmacy data was only available and accessible to the pharmacy staff. 

Having the pharmacy connected to all other systems within a hospital or medical facility can save a lot of time and effort. It also reduces any errors or pilferages that can occur due to human intervention. 

The top-level administration will have access to the pharmacy data anytime from anywhere. 

  • Reporting & Analytics – 

The stock movement and financial data have only been accessible to pharmacy staff to date in many medical centers. Using good pharmacy software, the administrator will be able to keep a close watch on drug movement in the pharmacy. 

Hospital administrators would be able to view how the stocks have moved over a period of time. The report of current stocks is also readily accessible at any given point in time to do a physical stock verification test.

  • Daily summary – 

At the end of each working day, an analytical and detailed summary can be generated with the click of a button. This helps in making the audit process easier. 

  • Use pharmacy as a dispensing unit only – 

Good pharmacy software has the potential of changing the way pharmacies operate in a medical facility. Pharmacy can be used as a dispensing unit for the collection of drugs while the billing and finances are managed separately. There are a number of hospitals that have had positive results over their revenue by adapting to this model. This allows greater control and transparency over pharmacy finances. 

  • Drug movement and expiry – 

Doctors in a hospital should be able to receive real-time updates on expiry drugs in the pharmacy. Currently, doctors do not intervene or track drug movement in the pharmacy. This in turn results in huge losses.

Having good pharmacy software will eliminate the chances of soon to expire drugs sitting at the bottom of the stockpile while the newer stocks are being sold. The pharmacy software allows you to follow the first-in, first-out inventory management method more effectively.

 

The Pharmacy software makes the pharmacy more efficient. But, it cannot be completely successful without the implementation of supporting systems and processes within the facility. It is a practice by itself. A good pharmacy software will make the process simpler and more efficient. 

If you are looking to build an effective pharmacy process, reach out to us at support@bewelldigital.com to consult with our experts. We can tailor the right software and process for your pharmacy. 

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