3 Reasons to Invest in Training in Your Pharmacy POS

Words like reliable and honest seem synonymous with what many people think about their hometown independent pharmacy.  Afterall, Pharmacists were just rated the 2nd most honest profession in America.  Customers shop local for a level of service that they simply cannot get anywhere else.  Which is pretty amazing when you consider how much the pharmacy industry is in a constant state of flux.  To say that there’s always something new coming down the pipe would be a bit of an understatement. 

But no matter what changes happen, that same underlying spirit has to remain consistent in your pharmacy.  Maintaining a business that runs like a well-oiled machine regardless of what’s going on behind the scenes is difficult to say the least, but there’s one thing that the most successful pharmacies do that gives them an edge above the competition… They invest in training.  And not just training on new regulations or required continuing education, but training from their business partners. 

When it comes to pharmacy point-of-sale, technology evolves at an increasingly rapid rate.  Equally so, what a pharmacy needs to get from its point-of-sale system can change with each passing year as the business grows and changes.

Here are a few good reasons to invest in ongoing and recurring training in your pharmacy.

1. Manage employee turnover -It’s less expensive to train and maintain the skills of an existing employee than it is to start from scratch with a new one.  And employees that feel like they are being invested in by the company they work for are more likely to stay loyal.  Additionally, if they are consistently well trained they’ll be more confident in themselves and the work that they do and you’ll get a more efficient and effective employee.  Finally, if you did have some employee turnover, or growth meant your staff grew, it can be useful to have a professional trainer firm up processes and procedures and make sure that those new employees have a well-rounded understanding of technology operations in your pharmacy. 

2. Address the capabilities of the system compared to the new requirements of your pharmacy – Hopefully your pharmacy has experienced some growth and change for the better. So what you needed to get out of your technology a year ago may not be the same as what you need to get out of it today.  Experts in the technology and in the industry can identify inefficiencies, see gaps in processes, and make recommendations for change.  Many systems are very robust and it takes a while to learn everything that a system is capable of doing 

3. Get help with big changes – It’s possible that the coming year already holds something new and exciting for your pharmacy.  Whether you are adding some new software capabilities, moving to a bigger location or implementing a complete overhaul of your technology, there’s no need to take that on without help from someone who specializes in these kinds of changes.  The right trainer can make sure the process goes smoothly and help you to implement new features.  

If you haven’t made room this year for some advanced training, I highly recommend taking a good look at your pharmacy and seeing where there might be some room for improvement.   An expert both in your technology and in the industry can help your pharmacy become the well-oiled machine that your customers expect and continue to grow. 

Karen Deckard came to RMS with a background in retail and customer service, and was initially brought on board as a Sales Assistant and managed IIAS certifications for RMS’s pharmacy POS customers.  Today, Karen works as a Customer Success Manager, striving to provide independent and institutional pharmacies with the tools and resources they need to succeed in today’s competitive pharmacy market.