Why Discussing Changes with Your Pharmacy Business is Important

Pharmacy owners must often make changes in their businesses.  As the pharmacy evolves, the needs of the business change.  Sometimes this may mean a change in one pharmacy vendor or another.  There are a lot of options out there and it’s the responsibility of any pharmacy owner to make sure that they are partnered with the right companies to help them succeed. 

But there is something any pharmacy owner should consider before enacting any sort of major change. They need to run those changes past those vendors they intend to keep.  Not for any sort of approval, but because so many different systems within your pharmacy have to work together, specifically when it comes to the pharmacy POS system. Pharmacy POS interacts with so many other major systems within the pharmacy, so before any major changes are made, it’s important to understand how those changes will impact existing workflows.

Credit Card Processor – Most businesses receive multiple calls, perhaps even in-person visits, from credit card processing reps promising to deliver the sun, the moon and the stars.  Well maybe not exactly, but certainly lower rates and savings.  The problem is that few processors actually deliver on their promises and because there are so many different processors, they may not all work with your POS system equally.  So before you sign on the dotted line and lock yourself into a contract, perform some due diligence and talk to your POS provider about what else might change if you change your credit card processing company.  Pharmacy is a very specific business and not every processor can effectively meet the needs of a pharmacy equally.  

Pharmacy System Provider- If you’re an RMS customer, this one gets a little easier.   While it may not make your decision making process any simpler, RMS interfaces with over 25 different pharmacy system vendors, so changing pharmacy systems doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch with all the systems in your pharmacy.   But even if your pharmacy POS provider is super flexible, it still doesn’t hurt to touch base so you understand what changes you can expect and enlist assistance with the transition.   

Location moves – Changing locations is pretty much always done to yield positive results.  But it’s something you should discuss with your POS provider for a number of reasons.  First, there will probably be a couple of minor tweaks that need to be made to get things up and running again in the new location.  You’ll want to make sure you understand what will happen and what to do if you need assistance.  Second, hopefully your new location will offer expanded opportunities.   Maybe you’re adding a drive thru, or will have space for an additional register.  Take some time to look at what products your POS provider can offer to help you make the most of your new space.

Involving pharmacy business partners in your decision making process may seem like an unnecessary extra step, but it will pave the way for smooth transitions and a more efficient pharmacy.