Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for independent pharmacies.
A checklist built from how independent pharmacies work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Prescription queue and dispensing check
- Patient medication record
- Batch and expiry stock by shelf
- Wholesaler orders and returns
- Controlled medicine register
- Counter sales and owings
- Refill reminders and home delivery
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For the pharmacist in charge
- For dispensers
- For counter assistants
- For the owner
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Short-dated lines by shelf, fridge and expiry month
- Scripts dispensed by pharmacist and day
- Owings open and cleared, oldest first
- Methadone and morphine ampoule balances against the register
- Repeat patients overdue for collection
- Wholesaler spend and credit notes claimed
- Fridge readings with excursions flagged
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- Wholesaler order files
- Electronic prescription feed
- Barcode scanner
- Label printer
- Card payments
- SMS and WhatsApp
- Accounting export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Does it replace our current dispensing software?
- How does the pharmacist check get recorded?
- Can it warn us about packs near expiry?
- Does it keep a controlled medicine register?
- Can we run home delivery from it?
- What about repeat prescriptions?
- Will it order from our wholesalers?
- How is my patient data kept?
- What moves the quote?
- Is a small shop too small for this?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Expiry is found on the shelf
- Repeat prescriptions slip
- Owings are lost between visits
- The dispensing check leaves no trail
- Wholesaler orders are guesses
Prefer to talk it through? See the independent pharmacies page.