POS System for Pharmacy

What is a POS system for pharmacy?

“When I first started working with retail pharmacies back in the early ‘70s, a high-tech pharmacy consisted of a Royal typewriter, a bottle of correction fluid, and a roll of clear Scotch tape. The modern pharmacy management system, with its ability to manage prescription files, organize patient profiles, bill third-party payers, and check for drug interactions, has truly become the essential professional tool for pharmacy.” – Bruce Kneeland for computertalk [1]Indeed, pharmacies today are worlds apart from pharmacies of the past.

Customers at a pharmacy, photo by Tbel Abuseridze on Unsplash

Pharmacy practices differ in every country. In some, pharmacies solely dispense medicines. In others, pharmacists are legally allowed to provide some degree of prescription services. In yet others, pharmacies sell a mix of over the counter medicines and health related goods.

Due to this diverse range of scenarios, it is advisable to choose pharmacy POS systems which are heavily localised.

For instance, pharmacies in the United States may find the need to engage a POS software service which can be integrated with insurance billing handlers.

This article will share three pharmacy POS system from around the world: KiotViet, ATL Systems, and CashierLive.

Vietnam: KiotViet

About KiotViet

KiotViet has grown rapidly since its inception in 2014. Today, KiotViet’s software is used by 63 provinces in Vietnam, and has reached the milestone of 150,000 users.

KiotViet is a great example for pharmacies in countries like Southeast Asia, where pharmacies typically provide over the counter medicine and other health related goods and services.

Getting started with KiotViet

Pharmacy owners can get started with a free trial easily by signing up on KiotViet’s website. If you are an existing user of KiotViet, your business can gain rewards for referring others. KiotViet’s website also features offers in conjunction with special occasions, so business owners can check them out from time to time.

Which pharmacies should choose KiotViet?

KiotViet has recently launched three different sales screen interfaces: the quick sale mode which speeds up order processing, the special delivery mode, and the regular sales mode. Business owners can use them one at a time or combine all three screens at once. This will make the process of managing sales much easier.

KiotViet with iMin’s D3 desktop POS

Using the KiotViet POS system, pharmacies can also send email, SMS, Facebook messages, and Zalo messages to patients. This makes it easier to schedule appointments and followup on patient prescriptions if necessary. It is also a key feature for enhancing customer service.

In addition, KiotViet has a comprehensive support page and four offices in Vietnam for customer support. With these services, customer care would cease to be a concern for pharmacies.

United Kingdom: ATL Systems Pharmacy EPOS System

About ATL Pharmacy EPOS System

Advansys Technologies Limited (“ATL Systems”) Has been specializing in healthcare software for pharmacies in the United Kingdom since 2007. On top of their POS services, they provide software for pharmacy wholesale, repeat prescription management, and medicine verification.

Getting started with ATL Pharmacy EPOS System

ATL support can be contacted via phone or email. There is also a function for booking demos online.

Upon starting out, ATL provides a stock take service where they provide scanners to key in all medicines into the POS system. Simultaneously, the device can be used to print shelf labels, to get the pharmacy organised quickly.

Which pharmacies should choose ATL Pharmacy EPOS System?

Pharmacies that need a turnkey POS solution can look to ATL.

It can manage patient appointments, send purchase orders to medical suppliers, and provide VAT sales reports. It can also be integrated with credit card terminals for contactless payments.

An example of ATL EPOS software and hardware setup. ATL EPOS provides POS systems, thermal printers, cash drawers, and customer displays.

Crucially for pharmacies in the UK, ATL is coordinated with the NHS prescription token service.

ATL also has a great support promise: if your POS hardware devices malfunction, ATL will rectify the problem within eight working hours by sending an engineer to your store or by replacing the defective hardware.

United States: CashierLive

About CashierLive

Established in 2008, CashierLive provides POS systems to small and medium businesses through a low-cost subscription model.

Getting started with CashierLive

Signing up for CashierLive is easy. Pharmacy can input their name and email address into CashierLive’s website sign up form to kickstart a free 14 day trial.

Upon registering with CashierLive, pharmacy owners will be matched with an account manager who will provide one to one training. Thereafter, pharmacy owners and staff can look up bite sized training videos on CashierLive’s website if they need further support.

Which pharmacies should choose CashierLive?

Pharmacies in the United States will be glad to know that CashierLive can be integrated with MethCheck, a drug regulatory standard operating procedure. Furthermore, CashierLive can be integrated with pharmacy management systems as signatures can be collected in one device and prescriptions will be automated accordingly.

In addition, CashierLive makes it easy to search filter through inventory, a must for complicated medicines.

An example of CashierLive’s software interface for inventory management

CashierLive accepts credit cards for a 2.7% processing fee, but states that they can match your fee if you currently have a cheaper provider. It can also be integrated with Bigcommerce to move the pharmacy business online, if desired.

A daily dose of help

Through these POS software examples, the idiosyncrasies of each country’s healthcare and pharmacy systems are evident. POS software developers have followed suit, developing relevant and helpful products for the pharmacy industry.

An effective and suitable POS software will go a long way in facilitating pharmacy operations. Get the right help your pharmacy needs to better help patients!

Interested to know more about POS Solutions? Clink here to explore more.

*All information about KiotViet, ATL Systems, and CashierLive were obtained from their respective websites, accurate as of October 2021.

References

[1] https://www.computertalk.com/is-pos-business-tool-the-essential-for-pharmacy/