A pharmacy is a shop with extra rules. Medicines have batches and expiry dates, some need a prescription, and mistakes matter more than in other retail. Ask these ten questions before you choose software.
- Does it track stock by batch? Each delivery has its own batch number and expiry date. The system should know which batch a sale came from.
- Does it sell the earliest expiry first? The right batch should be picked automatically, so old stock does not sit at the back.
- Can it block expired stock? An expired batch should never be sold by mistake.
- Is there an expiry report? You want a list of what expires in the next one, two and three months, so you can return or discount it in time.
- Can prescriptions be attached to a sale? This matters for controlled medicines and for your own record.
- Can you import your existing medicine list? Typing thousands of items again is not realistic. A file import saves days.
- How are purchases recorded? Receiving stock should capture the supplier, batch, expiry, cost and quantity in one step, and show what you owe.
- Does it handle returns to suppliers? Near-expiry or damaged stock often goes back. The system should reduce stock and adjust the supplier balance.
- Who can change prices and stock? Limit this to trusted staff and keep a record of every change.
- Do sales reach the books on their own? The day's sales, cash and purchases should flow to the accounts without retyping.
Test it with real stock
Enter five of your medicines with different batches, sell one, and check which batch was used. Then pull the expiry report. If the seller cannot do this in a short demo, keep looking.
Plan for growth
If you may open a second pharmacy, check that branches share one owner view. And ask what happens when the internet is down, because the counter cannot wait.
How SOS helps
A pharmacy till that thinks in batches and expiry dates, with the same books, people and rights as every other trade on SOS.
See SOS for pharmacies