Choosing a pharmacy software system is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a pharmacy owner — but that doesn’t mean it isn’t challenging.
To simplify the process, you should consider why you’re looking for a new pharmacy software system in the first place. In most cases, there are two main scenarios in which a pharmacy installs a new system:
1. Conversion at an Existing Location
A pharmacy currently open and operating with a pharmacy software system might elect to switch systems. In this case, they will undergo a conversion process to transfer their data and install a new system.
2. New Store Installation
A brand new pharmacy won’t have a pharmacy software system, but it will need one before it opens. In some cases, the pharmacy owner may be opening a second (third, fourth, etc.) location of an existing store. In other cases, it is an entrepreneur's journey to start their very first business! Either way, both stores need new systems.
Now that we’ve covered these scenarios, let’s dive in and see which pharmacy software system pharmacies choose the most in each situation — so that you can choose the right system for you.
Which Software System Do Most Pharmacies Convert To?
The following data is obtained from a Direct Opinions survey of approximately 2,000 independent pharmacies across the United States from April - June 2022.
The results are as follows:
Most pharmacies chose to convert to PioneerRx, followed by Liberty, Rx30, Computer-Rx, and BestRx. The All Others category rounded out the total.
Situational Factors to Consider
Conversions are usually done when a pharmacy is looking for a better solution than they currently have. They most likely know what they are missing and want to upgrade to a system that will fill in the gaps.
They have experience operating with one or more pharmacy systems and have heard the opinions of other pharmacists, so they have an idea of what each vendor provides.
Which Pharmacy Software System Do New Stores Open With?
This graph compiles the answers of survey respondents who have opened a new pharmacy within the last two years. The bars visually represent the percentage of pharmacies that chose each vendor as their starting software.
The results are as follows:
Most pharmacies chose to open their store with PioneerRx, followed by Micro Merchant Systems (PrimeRx), Liberty, BestRx, Rx30, ComputerRx, and DigitalRx.
Situational Factors to Consider
Brand new pharmacies may not be familiar with the market, so they may start off by choosing a smaller software vendor. This is most likely why the All Others category is large in this situation since it is primarily composed of smaller, less-known vendors.
However, some stores may choose a system based on recommendations from other pharmacists or experience working at other stores, so they may want to immediately start with a robust system that can grow with them.
Conclusion
These survey questions give insight into the trends of independent pharmacies’ software system preferences. We can infer that some pharmacies may start off with a base-level system at first, then convert to an upgraded, more robust system.
We might also see new pharmacies that have experience using different systems and already know that they want to start off with an innovative pharmacy software system that will allow them to gradually grow their pharmacy and not have to go through the conversion process later on.
For more data insights from this survey, visit our Compare Software page.
