4 Key Features to Look for in a Pharmacy POS System
Running your pharmacy is unlike operating any other retail store. And while that seems like a fairly obvious statement, it’s an essential concept you need to remember when implementing a point of sale (POS) system into your pharmacy. As a complex business, you can’t rely on a one-size-fits-all solution: you must have a pharmacy POS system tailored for your unique business requirements.
So, what exactly makes for a good pharmacy POS solution? Many POS systems offer various attributes, but specific characteristics are critical to running your pharmacy successfully. Here are four key features to look for in your pharmacy POS system to help improve your workplace productivity and keep your customers satisfied.
1. Integrations With Wholesalers and Dispensary Systems
Functionality is key to running a flourishing pharmacy. To keep your work environment running smoothly, you need to streamline business operations and boost efficiency. You can achieve this through a pharmacy POS that can integrate with pharmacy management software (PMS).
An integrated point of sale with pharmacy dispensary software, such as McKesson or Kohl & Frisch, makes servicing your customers more straightforward and effective. For example, you can manage sales by scanning barcodes on prescriptions to transfer their information to the transaction automatically. This software can also help you streamline customer checkout processes and reduce customer throughput times, saving you and your customers time while eliminating the chance for inaccuracies.
By integrating with your POS and pharmacy management software, you can help maintain compliance by ensuring every prescription is tracked, accounted for and reconciled from dispensing to leaving the store with your customer. An integrated system can also save yourself added stress when you know your point of sale can manage your operations with speed and accuracy.
2. Customer Loyalty and Account Management
While customers will always appreciate quick service, they also enjoy being recognized for their loyalty. They want methods of further engagement with your pharmacy. According to one survey, 60% of consumers stated that instant discounts are a perk that motivates them to join premium loyalty programs.
Implementing a customer loyalty program into your POS system is the perfect way to reward your customers for being faithful shoppers. Namely, you can offer flexible promotions and recognize your customers with loyalty points, coupons, and gift certificates. Plus, encourage repeat business by issuing vouchers at the checkout for your customer to use on their next purchase. You can even cater these points and coupons to your shoppers’ unique spending habits with data collected from your pharmacy POS.
Adding a loyalty program to your POS solution helps you build your customer following and strengthens your relationships to ensure a reliable consumer base.
3. Advanced and Easy-To-Use Inventory Management
Your inventory is a critical part of your pharmacy. You need to know what prescriptions you have in stock and what supplies you need to re-order because customers rely on you to provide them with essential and even life-saving medication. It’s why you need a pharmacy POS system with inventory management capabilities to keep you on top of what’s in stock. Your point-of-sale can help you:
- Reduce inventory investment
- Increase turns
- Improve accuracy
- Grow your sales with inventory management features integrated into your preferred suppliers
Also, you can optimize your store’s time and efficiency with scientific purchasing to help identify trends and select stocking options faster. In addition, it’s vital to keep up with the growing demand for 90-day refills and mail delivery. A recent article showed that mail-order prescriptions rose 21% from the previous year. The same report found that the share of 90-day medications dispensed by a community retail pharmacy increased, from less than 7% of retail prescriptions in 2010 to almost 20% in 2019. The prevalence of 90-day prescriptions accelerated in 2020, hitting 23.9% in the first week of June before dropping to 22.9% by early August. With increased customer visits, it’s more important than ever to ensure front shop inventory is managed effectively.
With these growing trends, a proper inventory management solution can help you keep a vigilant eye on what’s in stock and monitor what trends are occurring in your store. When you respond faster to growing trends, you can improve the customer service experience, resulting in higher profit margins and improved cash flow. Thus, allowing you to spend less time worrying about stocking concerns, whether it’s overstocking or understocking items, and use that valuable time interacting with your customers at the front of the store.
4. Security—Payment and Patient Information
As a pharmacy retailer, you are responsible for protecting your patients’ private medical and payment information. Therefore, ensure that your pharmacy POS system has iron-clad security features for customers’ safety and helps with .
When choosing a pharmacy POS solution, it’s vital to verify that it complies with Payment Application Data Security Standards (PA-DSS) to protect payment card data during transactions. Plus, your POS should be designed to guard confidential, patient-health information; if a data breach occurs at your pharmacy, that can result in the loss of critical data or access to sensitive information, which can have catastrophic implications to your business.
Auto-Stars’ advanced security options even allow you to implement biometric security into your POS system. For example, secure your customer’s data with fingerprint technology. This technology can keep unauthorized personal out and limit potential human error or security breaches.
Keep your customer’s data safe and help protect your store from any liabilities, all with the right pharmacy POS solution.
Finding a pharmacy POS with these critical features isn’t just a matter of preference: they are crucial tools to ensure that your pharmacy stays successful and as functional as possible. At Auto-Star, we specialize in providing the finest pharmacy point of sale systems because we know what it takes to run a thriving pharmacy store for years to come.
Contact us today, and we’ll help you find the perfect solution for your unique business needs!
