Chat with us, powered by LiveChat

4 Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Pharmacy Software

4 Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Pharmacy Software

Choosing a software solution for your independent pharmacy is difficult. Whether you’re looking for a software vendor for a new pharmacy or if you’re considering making a switch from your existing vendor, there are many factors to consider.

The process of choosing new pharmacy software can quickly make pharmacy owners feel overwhelmed with all of the different options and unsure how to compare different vendors. Understandably so, anyone looking for software for pharmacies wants a feature-packed system that helps their independent pharmacy outshine the competition, coupled with amazing customer support that’s ready to answer any questions with promptness and accuracy. Of course, with this list of must-haves, pharmacy owners also want to pay a fair price for the system and service they select for their store. How can you be sure to pick the best pharmacy management software for your business? By carefully evaluating the most important areas that will make the partnership a success: customer support, software company ownership and size, history of innovation (technology in the software), and of course; price.

1. Customer Support

For many pharmacists, customer support is at the top of their wish list when evaluating pharmacy software vendors. Independent pharmacies are uniquely positioned to offer patients better quality care and to be much more involved in overall patient health, compared to big-box pharmacies. While patients rely on their local pharmacists for prompt and efficient service, those same pharmacists rely on their pharmacy software vendors to support their needs in an expeditious fashion to allow them to better serve their patients. Pharmacists and their staff do not have time to sit on hold waiting in a call queue for someone to assist them, which unfortunately for many, due to software vendor mergers and acquisitions, is becoming more common. It’s important to dig into the type of customer service and support the software vendor provides.

Here are some questions you may want to know the answers to, prior to signing up: How are support calls handled? Do you get through to a person quickly, or are you waiting in line on hold? How knowledgeable are the technicians you’re speaking to?

When pharmacy software vendors merge or are acquired by private equity firms, their support staff is often unfamiliar with all of the systems they’ve come to support, leaving pharmacies frustrated and unhappy. Poor customer service is one of the biggest reasons pharmacy owners look to switch to new pharmacy software vendors. That leads us to our next important area…

2. Pharmacy Software Company Ownership and Size

Understanding who owns the pharmacy software company you are evaluating can help you partner with the right company to help support your business. Though many vendors are wholesaler or private equity owned, Datascan Pharmacy Software is proud to remain independently owned and operated for nearly four decades. Datascan’s steadfast dedication to independent pharmacies has allowed us to service the needs of our community pharmacies better and faster than the competition. Our unique company infrastructure has helped us retain not only our customers, but our employees – ensuring our staff is well-trained and able to assist our clients with the utmost efficiency. As an independent pharmacy owner, it is important to align yourself with vendors who share in your philosophies, values, and focus on your needs.

3. History of Innovation and Technology

Innovative, pharmacy-focused features are one of the most important aspects of your pharmacy software system. While any pharmacy software system can fill prescriptions and handle your basic daily needs, pharmacists should also focus on what else the software can do for them. Anticipating your future needs is something every business owner should consider when shopping for a pharmacy software solution. You may not need a myriad of options and added features when you open, but as your business evolves, and you begin to build other services into your pharmacy, you will undoubtedly need more from your pharmacy software system. Many pharmacy owners decide to add in compounding, Long Term Care, accredit themselves for specialty, or even add in delivery services. If your system can grow with you, you’ll end up saving time and money.

Datascan Software has an ever-growing list of features and products to help you grow your pharmacy as your business evolves and expands into other services.

4. Pharmacy Software Price

Price is an important factor when choosing the right pharmacy management software. Just as you would be hesitant about choosing the most expensive software, you should also be cautious about choosing the cheapest solution on the market. If a pharmacy software vendor has a low price tag, it likely means it has a limited set of features, horrible customer support or additional hidden fees they’ll surprise you with down the road. While saving some money upfront by purchasing a low-cost pharmacy software might seem like a wise choice at first, it will often cost you more in time, money and aggravation as your pharmacy grows. The features you need today are not always enough for tomorrow. Choosing the wrong pharmacy software can result in expensive add-ons or significant costs converting a another pharmacy system later on. If you select a software vendor with a la carte pricing, you can end up paying more for each additional feature you’ll come to need, significantly driving up your monthly fees.

If you think ahead and plan for what you may build into your services later, you could end up with a better software partner for your pharmacy. Every business evolves over time, as will your pharmacy, so you need to know that any changes you make will likely be able to be accommodated by your pharmacy software vendor – all at an affordable price. While many vendors offer these types of features, they come with a hefty price tag. Conversely, Datascan not only has a robust feature stack ready to be turned on for you at any time, we also build technology and features for free – affording our pharmacy clients the ability to do more for less.

Choosing the right software vendor for your independent pharmacy, while important, does not have to be overwhelming. Focusing on the most important things like vendor ownership, customer service, technology and price can help you make the best decision for your independent pharmacy. Researching vendors, taking notice of how you are treated before becoming a customer as well as during software demos, and reading company reviews are great ways to help you make an informed decision. Pharmacies across the country are choosing Datascan as their pharmacy software company because of our ability to support their needs better than the competition, affordably. Experience the Datascan difference for yourself by scheduling a free, no-obligation demo of our pharmacy management software.