Planning Ahead with Pharmacy POS

There are certain things that it seems impossible for me to avoid doing at the last minute. I never finish folding laundry until the kids are 1 night away from running out of clean pajamas. And I can’t seem to restock on food for the dogs or rabbit until I’m scraping the bottom of the container. (Don’t worry, nobody starves, it just means I’m perpetually making pre-dinner runs to the pet store or compensating for that last ¼ cup of kibble with some leftovers)  

Every time something like this happens I promise to myself that I’m going to start sticking to a schedule. After all, it would be so much easier to plan ahead than be scrambling at the last minute.   

Things that we let get ahead of us rarely ever get that way because of circumstances outside of our control. We know something’s going to require our attention and subsequent action, but we just don’t get around to getting everything done in time to avoid the stresses of doing things at the last minute.  

In your pharmacy business, planning ahead can be tricky. You don’t always know in advance that circumstances will require a change. Hardware can unexpectedly fail or a new feature might become available that you’re really excited to get.  But there are a few areas that we see the 11th hour become the only hour a little too frequently. With a little notice, and a little planning in partnership with your pharmacy POS provider, changes and projects don’t have to be stressful. 

Location moves – If you’re pharmacy is going to be getting a makeover, you’re going to be very busy.  Working with contractors, dealing with real estate people, figuring out how to handle the logistics of the move, etc.. Let your POS provider, and your other vendor partners know as soon as you have an idea that you’ll be moving. They’ll be able to talk to you about the scope of the project and make plans for whatever assistance you might need well in advance.  

Changes in other vendor partners – So many applications and services you use in your pharmacy interact with one another. In truth, there aren’t a ton of changes you can make in your pharmacy without looping in your POS provider. Changing pharmacy system providers? Time needs to be scheduled to adjust communication/interface settings. Moving to a new internet service provider? Your vendor will likely need to update IP addresses in your system. There’s also credit card changes, wholesaler changes and much more. Bringing your POS provider on board when you know you’re making a change, or even to get their advice about a change, helps to make sure that these sorts of transitions go smoothly.  

New locations – If there’s something that’s more involved than moving locations, it’s adding a new one. And it’s never too soon to start the process with your vendor partners. That way you can be sure your grand opening stays on schedule and you have the right resources to go live without a hitch.  

These are just a few things that can impact more than you might think. If you’re making a change to your pharmacy business, just reach out to your vendor partners to get all the boxes checked before the last minute. If you have questions, count on RMS’ years of experience in the pharmacy industry to help you figure out what needs to happen when.