To keep your doors open, you have to keep your supplies stocked.
In any given week, your pharmacy will go through a number of different supplies: medications, tools and equipment, and OTC items. Depending on the demand, these supplies may vary at certain times, but you are still responsible for keeping up with anything and everything your patients may need 一 at all times.
Inventory is a key part of any business’s success, but it is essential for your pharmacy. In order to meet demand and keep your patients happy, you have to stay top of your supplies so that you can keep them in stock.
Managing your inventory can be tedious and time-consuming, though. Whether you take an old-fashioned approach and record your inventory manually, or you use an electronic system to keep track, you may still find that inventory is a chore.
If you are looking to make inventory easier, your pharmacy software system can help. In addition to running the everyday operations and interactions in your pharmacy, your software can help you to easily input, monitor, and order inventory when it is needed.
Your software can help you to stay informed of your supply levels and ensure that you never run out of an item. Inventory solutions like these can be easily integrated into your pharmacy’s workflow, making it a simple part of your day rather than a daunting task.
A New Solution for Inventory
Inventory is intimidating because it requires you to complete many different steps: counting, recording, evaluating, ordering, and so on. Not only do you have to complete each of these steps, though, but you have to do it accurately.
In a matter like inventory, there is little room for error, and the smallest miscalculation can throw off your entire stock of supplies. Even with standard inventory tools to help you, you are liable to make mistakes and miss a step somewhere along the way. And, if you do make it through the process, you are still bound to end up with a headache.
In most cases, inventory management is inefficient, ineffective, and most of all, frustrating. This creates the need for a new solution 一 and it may be waiting right in front of you, with the help of a tool that you use every day.
What if your pharmacy software system could handle your inventory for you, while also ensuring accuracy and precision?
Keep Your Toolbox in Your Workflow
Today, the top software systems are well-equipped with the tools to manage your inventory and free up your time.
Inventory can be handled from directly within your workflow, without the need for outside technology. In your software, you can view the items that you have in your store, determine which items are running low, and order from both wholesalers and retailers to replenish your stock.
When you order supplies, some systems will allow you to view prices from multiple retailers, determine the best option, and suggest which one you should buy from. As you work through your inventory, some systems will also automatically keep track of what you’ve used based on your reports and transactions. This can give you a better idea of which items are in demand and which ones you may need to reorder sooner.
When it does come time to reorder, the best systems offer automatic ordering so that you can always keep the supplies you need, without having to go through and purchase them yourself.
In addition to the logistics of keeping your store stocked, inventory management also helps another key aspect of your business: your financial health. Keeping proper levels of inventory and not over-stocking or carrying items on hand that are not being sold will help you keep a lean inventory and be smart with your money.
Your software system may also provide you with other helpful inventory features, like printable labels and shelf stickers, to manage your supplies both in the software and the store itself.
When you shop for a software system, make sure to ask about basic and additional inventory features to determine what you can expect to receive.
Do More with Inventory Integrations
In addition to using your software’s standard tools, you can use integrations from outside vendors to manage your inventory even better.
Most pharmacy software systems partner with these vendors to expand their technology’s capabilities, including their inventory capabilities. Find out which vendors your software uses and how their technology can be integrated directly into your pharmacy system. Some of the top inventory vendors include:
Conclusion
More and more community pharmacists are using advanced inventory solutions to keep their supplies stocked and their patients satisfied. With the help of their pharmacy software system, they can manage and order inventory of all kinds. Not all inventory management systems are created equal, though.
As you shop for a new pharmacy software system, make inventory a top priority. Find out what capabilities your software vendor has to offer and what tools they use to make inventory easy. With the right software, you can manage your inventory better and accelerate your business faster.
As long as you have patients, you will have inventory: so choose a system that makes it simple.
For a complete list of features to consider when buying a pharmacy software system, visit our blog.
