How Our Software for Independent Pharmacies Helps You Compete with Big Chains

In today’s world, independent pharmacies are involved in a constant battle. Because of unfair PBM practices, increasing drug costs, and lower reimbursements, community pharmacies must also find ways to compete with big pharmacy chains. Savvy pharmacy owners know that to secure their place in the future of community pharmacy, they must diversify away from PBM-driven profits, and offer their patients convenience. 

By harnessing the technology offered by your pharmacy software vendor, you can offer your patients easy communication and the conveniences they expect in today’s world of technology. 

The best pharmacy software for independent pharmacies will provide a tremendous amount of technology and time-saving features for both the pharmacy staff and patients alike. Datascan’s pharmacy management software is designed for modern pharmacies and is an affordable technology-packed system designed to help you focus on competing with the big chains. 

What Features Offered in Our Pharmacy Software Help You Compete With Big Chains?

The top software designed for community pharmacies is not only affordable, but also packed with features that help save you time and money while boosting efficiency. From the pharmacy system running the back end, to the front-end pharmacy point-of-sale system, software for independent pharmacies needs to rival the systems available to big pharmacy chains. Focus on providing everyday conveniences to staff and patients. Let’s take a look at some of the key features in Datascan’s software for independent pharmacies.

• Mobile applications:
  

  Patient mobile apps are without a doubt one of the most convenient features you can offer your patients. Competing with the big pharmacy chains can be challenging, but if you’re offering patients the ultimate level of convenience and ease of communication, coupled with better quality customer service, why would they choose them over you?

   

• Automatic refills:

  The best pharmacy software systems include many time-saving features that help free up your staff.  Big pharmacy chains and mail-order pharmacies have always offered auto refills, and there’s no reason for you not to do the same.  Auto refill features are built right into your pharmacy system and ensure your patients are staying compliant and getting their medications on time.

   

• Delivery application:

  One option that most definitely helps you compete with the big pharmacy chains is offering home delivery. Datascan’s pharmacy software was designed with independent pharmacies in mind to give them an edge over the competition. We offer our own robust delivery application that ties directly into the pharmacy system, making it easy to create delivery manifests for your drivers, collect signatures and payments, create prioritized routing using Google Maps, and even take photos of deliveries.

   

• Compounding: 

  Offering compounding services is a great way to differentiate your independent pharmacy from the big pharmacy chains. Datascan’s software for independent pharmacies combines the most robust compounding module on the market today with retail pharmacy software, and includes it for free.  Chain pharmacies do not offer compounding services, which is a great opportunity for independently owned pharmacies to bring in business.  Datascan’s pharmacy software system includes the most robust compounding features, allowing you to run a successful compounding pharmacy without needing any additional software system. Create bulk batch compounds, automatically generate custom lot numbers, integrate with multiple digital scales for weight verification, and even create a dedicated compound workflow to verify formulas, create and verify batches, and perform quality control tests on your compounds. In Datascan’s pharmacy system, you can also automatically adjust chemical ingredient values for purity, assay, and loss on drying. Our batch screen even supports the ability to adjust your ingredients to account for loss on batching. All required compound documentation is stored both electronically and available to be printed as needed.

   

• Pharmacy Software Automation:

  The more time you and your staff can save, the more you can focus on additional profit centers, and operate more efficiently with fewer pharmacy staff. Freeing up your time by utilizing the pharmacy software automation allows you to spend more time with your patients, and offer services like compounding and vaccinations. Most software for independent pharmacies has some level of automation built in. But, the best pharmacy software from PMS vendors such as Datascan, offers a customizable list of automated features you can choose from. From auto processing of automatic refills, and future fill and hold prescriptions, to our maintenance medication utility (that automatically reaches out to physicians for new prescriptions when refills run out), the options are almost endless. Winpharm can automate the printing of reports, automate purchase order creation, and includes options to automate your control file uploads, send out prior authorizations to doctors, and even text patients for things like refill reminders and when their prescriptions are ready for pick up. This is all built into the Datascan pharmacy software system, and available at no additional cost.

   

• Integrated Point of Sale System:
  

  To help compete with big chain pharmacies, the software you have to help run your community pharmacy must also include an integrated pharmacy point of sale system that manages the front end and also syncs back to the pharmacy system. A streamlined integrated pharmacy POS ensures patient medication adherence, which is key in competing with big pharmacy chains. Because prescription reimbursements are continually declining, independently owned pharmacies often rely on a profitable front-end. To do that, community pharmacy owners need truly connected pharmacy software and pharmacy POS systems which help manage inventory and provide robust, comprehensive reporting and analytic tools.

   

• Medication Synchronization:

  Often referred to as simply MedSync, medication synchronization is a great way to ensure medication adherence, and compete with big chain pharmacies. Chain pharmacies have been offering MedSync as a way to fill more prescriptions and build better medication adherence for years. The top pharmacy software for operating an independent pharmacy must have a robust MedSync system that assists the filling pharmacist in synchronizing a patient’s medications to lower the number of necessary visits or deliveries a patient has monthly. Datascan’s pharmacy management software has an easy-to-use MedSync with assistance built in as well as alerts when a patient is ideal to sign up for this program. 

Key Takeaways About Datascan Advantages for Community Pharmacies

• Independent pharmacies have historically faced challenges when competing with big chain pharmacies. However, these challenges can be overcome through the utilization of technology and diversification in their offerings.  
• Independent pharmacies can harness technology in their pharmacy systems, and coupled with a high level of service, can absolutely outshine big chain pharmacies. 
• Most pharmacy software systems for independent pharmacies include options to help you run your business and compete with big chain pharmacies; it is up to you to harness that technology. 
• Datscan’s pharmacy software for community pharmacies is among the best pharmacy software solutions on the market today.

Contact our team at Datascan today to learn more about what we can do for you!