The Case for Invisible Pharmacy Point-of-Sale

Sometimes, the best things are the ones you don’t know are there. Like technology that operates behind the scenes, paving the way for other things to take center stage. You can probably think of a few different supporting technologies in your pharmacy that could fit this bill.  

Point-of-sale is a little different. It sits front and center at your pharmacy counter. Every customer interacts with it. Invisible might not be the first thing that comes to mind.  But if your customers are truly seeing your point-of-sale system, and noticing it during a transaction, is it really doing its job? 

The case for an invisible point-of-sale system is simple enough. You need a system that’s intuitive and modern, but still robust enough to do everything a pharmacy requires, and perhaps a bit more.  

Wondering if your point-of-sale system has the invisibility superpower? Check out these criteria to find out.  

Easy for Customers to Interact With 

If your point-of-sale is attracting attention, it should only be for the right reasons. Consumers interact with point-of-sale systems everywhere they go.  And, even though they encounter it regularly, most consumers won’t classify it as separate from their checkout experience as a whole. For this reason, it shouldn’t be a tall order for point-of-sale to fade into the background. The key is for the checkout process to be crazy-easy and in line with their general expectations.  How your software application works and interacts with the consumer is one piece.  Is it easy to know when and where to sign for HIPAA and prescriptions? Can they see their purchases displayed as they are rung up? Is payment fast and intuitive? Is pricing the same in the system as it is on the shelf?  

Hardware and general appearance also play a role.  Modern, clean point-of-sale setups are a baseline expectation for most customers. It’s what they’ve become used to in many of their retail interactions. They may not notice it directly, but they will notice if your hardware is outdated, dusty, or slow.  

Intuitive for Staff to Use 

The checkout process can only be crazy-easy for your customer if it’s crazy-easy for your staff. They have to be able to navigate transaction processing with ease and speed.  This starts with an intuitive application, but you also need proper training. Make sure that all your employees who will interact with the point-of-sale system are receiving appropriate education on how to use the software and hardware.  

Does All Your Double Checks for You  

While your point-of-sale system plays a supporting role, your employees are the stars. They take the lead and shape that customer experience from start to finish. They can do that so much better when they don’t have to worry about so many checks and balances. Here are a few things that point-of-sale can do to help your employees feel confident they’ve done everything right, so they can focus on the customer. 

• Prompt for additional prescriptions for pickup. No forgotten prescriptions requiring a return visit, or prescriptions left indefinitely, eating up cash flow while they waste away in will-call. Or, just bundle all prescriptions under a single barcode for the easiest, fastest checkout! 
  
  
• Date of birth verification. Make sure the right patient is receiving the right prescription. 
  
  
• Automated, configurable prompts for controlled OTC’s, controlled prescriptions, HIPAA, safety caps and more. 
  
  
• Up-to-date pricing in your POS that matches the pricing on your shelves. No having to double check with each scan. 
  
  
• Prompts to check if the customer has a loyalty account.
  
  
• Notifications if a prescription is associated with drug-induced nutrient depletion along with supplement recommendations.
  
  
• And the list goes on! 

Fully Supported 

People don’t necessarily take notice when everything is going right, but they will notice when something has gone wrong.  You can’t always prevent problems, but you can make sure you do everything possible to minimize the impact on your customers and your staff. For point-of-sale, this can come down to how well supported that system is. Can you get support when you need it, and how quickly will you get a call back? This is where it comes in handy to have 24x7 support!