If you own a small pharmacy and you’ve already purchased a new retail pharmacy POS system — or maybe you’re looking around at new POS systems right now — you probably already know that the equipment and software is pretty expensive. But if you’ve been doing your research and talking to the right people, you probably also know that the expense is worth it; a point of sale system should be seen as more of an investment than anything else. Mobile point of sale terminals grew 111% to 9.5 million terminals from 2011 to 2012, and they are still on the rise. Their helpfulness is undeniable, as they can record customer information, making the transaction process much easier for both the pharmacist and the customer.
But it’s important to remember one more thing: you can have the best pharmacy software in the world, but it will be useless unless you have a good security plan in place.
If you’re wondering what can hurt your pharmacy’s POS system choice, look no further:
- Going with the cheapest option.Let’s just say, it’s probably the cheapest because it’s the least helpful.
- Setting up a security system once, and then forgetting about it.Your system will need regular maintenance! Keep up on it to avoid future issues.
- Thinking that a small POS system won’t be targeted by cyberhackers.Hackers find ways to get into everything. Be proactive in your security. Keep in mind that it costs businesses $145 per stolen record when their systems are breached.
- You aren’t thinking about your business needs. There are tons of options for great systems, but you need to find the one relevant to your needs.
- You don’t chip in for a support plan. What if something goes wrong? If you’re hacked, or even if there’s a simple mechanical issue, you’ll want the 24/7 help a support plan provides.
- You don’t consider your employees’ experience. If all of your employees are new to using a pos system, you’ll want something with easy-to-use features.
So now we’re turning the conversation over to you — are there any important things we forgot to include? Any questions you have about pharmacy POS systems? Feel free to leave your thoughts, questions, and advice down in the comments section!
