Healthcare
Table of Contents
The success of a pharmacy business relies heavily on effective software. A pharmacy management system is an intelligent tool that lets you handle drug supply and inventory management and improve customer experience. Developing such a system is a smart move if you run a pharmacy or decide to launch one.
In this latest article, we'll guide you through the intricacies of pharmacy management software (PMS) development. We'll explore its key features and the available technology stack and outline the steps in crafting a robust PMS solution. Whether a technology enthusiast or a pharmacy professional, you'll gain valuable insights into pharmacy software security and regulatory requirements. So, let's delve into it!
Pharmacy Management Software (PMS) is a specialized system that helps pharmacy specialists handle their medicine-related operations online. Depending on your business's landscape, such systems can be anything from a basic online program that enables you to manage drug supply to a fully functional platform that streamlines the operations of a pharmacy network.
The market size of pharmacy software is estimated at $87.53 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $179.67 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 15.47% during the forecast period (2024-2029).
The growing demand for pharmacy management systems underscores their importance as an essential tool. One key benefit is the simplification of pharmacists' routines, which can significantly reduce their workload and enhance service quality. Let's explore other compelling reasons for developing software for pharmacy management.
Pharmacy management software performs a variety of functions starting from filling and verification of prescriptions to conducting inventory audit and dispensation of drugs. The benefits of developing such a system are palpable for patients and pharmacies alike.
At NEKLO, we specialize in developing custom pharmacy management software that meets the challenges many pharmaceutical businesses face. We can help you streamline your pharmacy operations and enhance efficiency with your business focus in mind:
These are just a few of the many potential benefits that a pharmacy management solution can offer. In practice, it provides many more opportunities for improvement depending on the size and specifics of your pharmacy business.
If you're looking to develop a feature-rich pharmacy management system but don't know where to begin, contact NEKLO for a free consultation.
Before developing your pharmacy management system, you need to understand how this system will blend with your current operations and which challenges it will help you overcome. Below, we’ve made a list of the most common features found in a PMS. Your list, however, may be different. With custom pharmacy software development, you can define functionality to tailor the system to your needs.
Most PMSs are aimed at helping pharmacists manage their inventory and keep track of their stocks. However, if your system is intended for patients, you may consider adding customer portals and communication modules. Let's explore the features of the pharmacy management system in detail.
Customer relationship management systems are the heart of every healthcare software. They help you store and process your client base, keep track of changes, and ensure every patient gets the designated medicine on time and at the right dosage.
Pharmacy Management Systems drastically speed up and automate every aspect of prescription handling — from entry to fulfillment. Pharmacists or doctors manually input prescriptions into the system, specifying patients' information, medications, dosage, and other important treatment details.
The system can store data and check for potential drug interactions, contraindications, and allergies. Once a refill is needed, the patient can submit a request via the system and receive it completely remotely, without the need for an in-person visit.
The Inventory management module lets you ensure that stock levels are maintained in order. You can view a complete picture of the current stock in your pharmacy and communicate with suppliers. You can also place new orders quickly with autocomplete, see their statuses and history, analyze sales data for better efficiency, and much more.
The look of the dashboards and their functionality can be designed up to your requirements. If you run pharmacies with multiple locations, inventory management features help you centralize all the data at one place and transfer stocks easily across multiple locations.
Managing the financial routine is an essential part of your drug supply business. Pharmacy management software ensures accurate billing and financial records, helping you keep track of your revenues and expenses.
Patient Communication features help you enhance the interaction between your pharmacy and its patients. On a simple level, they can be mere reminders and notifications promoting customers' prescriptions and medication intake.
Advanced features will include two-way communication within your system, such as inquiries, feedback forms, patient portals, request consultations, messaging, and even telemedicine app development features.
Data analytics in pharmaceutical software lets you collect, store, and view all essential business metrics. The most common data includes:
On an advanced level, you can integrate patient health analytics, marketing, and promotions, or performance metrics depending on your business needs.
Successful planning of your pharmacy software development lies in close collaboration between pharmacists, pharmacy managers, IT specialists, and other stakeholders to understand their needs, pain points, and expectations from the PMS. Make up a list of questions and gather all the required information:
Functional requirements define what a system should do. Here, you specify the core functionalities of your pharmacy software, such as prescription management, inventory control, billing, patient records, reporting, and integration needs with other healthcare systems.
The non-functional requirements define how a system should behave. Here, you spell out your system requirements for performance, platform support, regulatory compliance, and all other essential data that define your system infrastructure.
The choice of the technology stack for your pharmacy management system involves defining the programming languages and libraries for your front-end and backend. Some features can be implemented using ready-made integrations, so in this step, you need to plan them too.
We’ll look at the technology stack options below, but the two decisive factors in the technology choice are the cost of development and its scalability. Transferring the system to a new stack is a costly endeavor, so you need to make sure your pharmacy software interacts with other healthcare systems (e.g., EHR, EMR), accumulates more data, and allows for seamless functionality expansion in the future.
Define your UI/UX requirements and how the user feedback will be incorporated into the development process. Pharmacy management software must reflect your brand identity and match the needs of end users — pharmacy specialists and clients. The following workflow will help you approach your pharmacy management system design:
The development process of a pharmacy management system begins with setting up the development environment and establishing continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to streamline the development workflow.
This phase also includes integrating third-party APIs for functionalities like payment processing and drug information. If you develop a complex solution expected to handle high loads, comprehensive testing — manual and automated — should be conducted for each feature.
Pharmacy management software implementation also requires a well-structured and phased strategy to ensure it blends into your daily operation deployment and all users can make the most of it. The key highlight of this step:
Choosing the right technology stack for your Pharmacy Management System requires careful consideration and planning. You need to ensure that the chosen technology matches your requirements and can handle future enhancements if you decide to add any features as the system grows.
The landscape of the technology needed to implement a pharmacy management system looks as follows.
The database component is responsible for storing patient records, prescription details, inventory information, and financial transactions.
Hosting your PMS requires cloud platform usage. Depending on the complexity of your PMS, your team requires knowledge of virtual machines, managed databases, serverless computing, and global content delivery networks (CDNs).
Logging frameworks capture and store logs generated by the PMS applications and services. They help you monitor system behavior, locate and fix issues, and improve performance operation.
Last but not least, if you consider your PMS with other systems, e.g. EHR or payment gateways, you need the relevant API integration. Most integrations are easy to handle, however, some require deep technical expertise, especially for complex multi-level solutions.
To choose the right technology stack, evaluate carefully your PMS requirements, timeline and project budget.
Healthcare and pharmacy-related software development involves following strict security and compliance with regulations. Their list varies depending on the target market and use cases. If you develop your pharmacy management system for the USA market, make sure it complies with HIPAA, FDA, personal data collection, and regulations managing e-prescribing processes. If you target European destinations, you must also implement compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Let’s explore the key healthcare software compliance requirements and how to implement them when developing your pharmacy system.
The top-of-mind regulation for any healthcare software in the US is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). It sets the basic unquestionable standards for how customer data is collected, stored, and managed when they use your healthcare product. Its key goal is to protect people and ensure their data safety and confidentiality.
Notably, HIPAA applies not only to healthcare apps. Any software that deals with health-related data, i.e. insurance, wellness programs and pharmaceutical apps, is subject to HIPAA compliance.
How to Implement:
For apps and software that sells drugs online, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is another important regulation. It defines the safety and legitimacy of access to medical products sold online.
Pharmacy software is not an exclusion. You must identify it as either Medical Device Data Systems (MDDS) or Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) to ensure it complies with the intended use and manage how customers can access your products.
While the FDA is an extensive document with a broad range of use cases, for pharmaceutical software, you need to pay particular attention to the following sections:
The DEA regulates the distribution of controlled substances. Online pharmacies dispensing controlled substances must register with the DEA and comply with the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
How to implement FDA and DEA:
The HITECH Act, passed on February 17, 2009, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, encourages healthcare providers to adopt and use health information technology effectively. Its goal is to improve how medical information is shared and utilized in the US.
The act is necessary for healthcare software that deals with ePHI or involves sharing electronic health information, in which pharmacy management software is the case. It's optional, however, for lifestyle apps or other healthcare software that doesn't involve a high level of personal data sharing.
How to implement:
Pharmaceutical software usually provides the functionality of e-prescribing. Therefore, you must comply with Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Standards (CMS). This is a separate set of standards that specifically targets patient safety, efficiency, and accuracy in medication management.
How to implement:
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a specific regulation for healthcare software compliance in the EU markets. GDPR applies to organizations within the EU and those outside the EU if they target or store data from EU citizens.
How to implement:
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) policies/regulations are the US equivalent of GDPR, needed for all apps that store and collect personal data. It ensures consumer protection and privacy regulations within pharmacy software.
How to implement:
If you consider developing your own PMS, having a good example to follow may come in handy. Here’s our handpicked list of some notable pharmacy software systems with strong prescription management features.
PioneerRx is a pharmacy management software renowned for its comprehensive suite of tools tailored to independent pharmacies. Launched in 2008 and based in Texas, PioneerRx supports pharmacies across the United States. Its client base includes independent pharmacies seeking robust prescription management. PioneerRx emphasizes user-friendly interfaces and customizable workflows while ensuring compliance with industry regulations.
Key Features:
BestRx is a specialized pharmacy management software designed specifically for independent pharmacies. Based in the United States, BestRx serves a diverse client base of independent pharmacies nationwide, offering comprehensive features such as prescription management, e-prescribing, inventory tracking, and integrated point-of-sale (POS) capabilities. BestRx’s customers choose it for simplicity, efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
Key Features:
McKesson Pharmacy Systems offers a robust suite of pharmacy management solutions tailored for both retail and hospital pharmacies. Founded in the United States, McKesson has been a key player in healthcare technology since its inception. Their pharmacy systems cater to retail chains, independent pharmacies, and hospital pharmacies across the globe. Known for their emphasis on automation, inventory management, and regulatory compliance, McKesson Pharmacy Systems integrate seamlessly into existing healthcare infrastructures.
Key Features:
Rx30 is a pharmacy management software that caters to a diverse client base, including independent pharmacies and pharmacy chains. Rx30 focuses on enhancing efficiency, improving patient care, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations.
Key features:
Kroll is a prominent provider of pharmacy management software solutions tailored specifically for Canadian pharmacies. The software supports a wide range of pharmacies, including retail, hospital, and specialty pharmacies and emphasizes integration with Canadian healthcare systems. It has full compliance with local regulations.
Key features:
The development of pharmacy management software is a long-term investment. While startup costs can be daunting, they represent an opportunity to tap into a rapidly expanding mobile audience and enhance loyalty among existing customers.
If you are thinking about how to start a pharmacy management software, get in touch with us to discuss your project. From initial consultation through custom software development to ongoing expert support, NEKLO can deliver tailored solutions that meet your business needs.
US-based and operating globally, NEKLO spearheads digital transformation initiatives for businesses worldwide. We deliver software solutions complying with your market and legislation.
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