Tag: Online Pharmacy App

How to Develop a Successful Online Pharmacy App: Key Features and Best Practices

Posted on | by Salim Chauhan

Convenience is now the primary component of almost all services in the digital era, including healthcare. The online pharmacy app, which lets users purchase drugs from the comfort of their homes, is one of the most revolutionary technologies in this field. Comprehending the important elements and best practices for establishing an online pharmacy app is crucial for success, regardless of whether you’re creating a brand-new app or wanting to improve an old one. This article explores the features, development approaches, and best practices that are essential to having an online pharmacy app that stands out in a competitive market.

Key Features of a Successful Online Pharmacy App

1. An Easy-to-use Interface

One of the most important components of any app is an intuitive, user-friendly user interface (UI), and an online pharmacy app is no exception. Your app should be made to make it simple and intuitive for users of all ages and technological proficiency to explore, order, and maintain their drug regimen. To ensure user pleasure, an interface that is free of clutter and has distinct areas for prescription meds, over-the-counter medications, and customer service will be beneficial.

A strong user interface (UI) also improves the user experience (UX), which is critical for keeping clients. Users are more likely to return to your app for further orders if the procedure is easier to navigate. It is advisable to utilize mobile-first design concepts to guarantee that the application functions flawlessly on smartphones and tablets, which are the main devices that the majority of consumers will utilize.

2. Simple Authentication and Registration

Pharmacy website development applications must have a simple and safe registration and verification procedure because they handle private medical data. Using social network login options, phone numbers, or email addresses, users should be able to rapidly create accounts. However, because of the nature of the healthcare industry, user data protection requires an additional layer of verification, such as two-factor authentication (2FA).

Additionally, make sure that the privacy rules that are required, such as GDPR in Europe or HIPAA in the United States, are followed during the construction of your healthcare app. These regulations guarantee the safe management and storage of private data, including prescription drugs and medical histories. Hence, making website development for doctors essential.

3. Management of Prescriptions

Prescription management software that enables customers to submit and safely store their prescriptions is necessary for a feature-rich online pharmacy app. This tool streamlines the procedure by making it simple for people to reorder drugs without needing to see a doctor every time. Prescriptions may be scanned and verified using optical character recognition (OCR) technology, which lowers mistakes and boosts efficiency.

Medication trackers, auto-refill options, and prescription reminders may all improve the user experience—especially for people who are taking care of several medicines or long-term health issues.

4. Product Search and Categorization

The app should include a strong search function that enables users to locate prescription drugs, health goods, or certain pharmaceutical brands quickly to optimize the purchasing experience. Users can further reduce their options by using advanced filters, such as price, dose, or product type sorting.

Apart from having a search feature, items have to be well classified. Users may locate prescription pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medications, medical equipment, and wellness goods in separate categories, making it easier for them to discover what they need quickly. A good categorization system improves the user experience overall while also saving the user time.

5. Order Tracking in Real-time

Giving users access to real-time order tracking is one of the most important ways to earn their confidence. Consumers want peace of mind, and being able to track their purchase from placing to delivery provides them with that. They want to know when their prescription will arrive. A seamless customer experience is ensured by using push notifications to inform consumers about the status of their orders—processing, shipping, and delivery.

6. Integration of Secure Payment Gateway

A key component of any successful online pharmacy app is its ability to offer a variety of safe payment methods. This can include e-wallets, credit and debit cards, and in certain places, cash on delivery. But security comes first in this situation. For sensitive financial data to be protected, your app has to be coupled with a secure payment gateway.

Use SSL certificates, PCI compliance, and tokenization for secure payment processing as best practices for developing healthcare apps to maintain trust.

7. Integration of Telehealth

An online pharmacy app’s main purpose is to deliver prescription drugs, however, adding telehealth services can greatly increase its worth. Providing consumers with virtual consultations with physicians or pharmacists adds another level of service by enabling them to speak with medical experts directly about possible side effects, dosage, and prescription recommendations.

By integrating telehealth, you can close the distance between patients and healthcare professionals and turn your app into a one-stop shop for all things medical. Prescriptions may be provided straight through the app following a virtual doctor consultation, which expedites the procedure for the patient and the healthcare practitioner.

8. Push Alerts and Notifications

Push notifications are essential for encouraging user interaction since they serve as a constant reminder to users to finish open purchases or renew medications. These reminders are crucial for assisting individuals who are managing chronic diseases to remember to take their medications on time. Offerings, promotions, and new product notifications can also increase sales and foster more client loyalty.

9. Help Desk and Customer Service

Customer support is an essential feature since consumers will still need assistance from even the best-designed apps. To offer quick assistance, live chat, FAQs, and email support should all be included. A separate phone line for human contact may be made available for more complicated questions. Ensure that you offer help 24/7 because healthcare demands don’t follow a 9–5 routine.

Best Practices for Developing an Online Pharmacy App

After outlining the key factors, let’s examine some recommended practices to adhere to while creating an online pharmacy app.

1. Compliance with Regulations

As previously stated, HIPAA and GDPR privacy rules are essential to the healthcare sector. By protecting user data and adhering to the rules for keeping and exchanging medical information, you can make sure your software complies with these standards.

2. Scalability and Future-Proofing

Scalability should be a priority while designing your online pharmacy software. Your app’s infrastructure will be under increasing pressure as your user base expands. Take into account cloud-based options for data storage, and make sure the application can accommodate a growing user base without experiencing any latency or crashes. Additionally, keep a watch on cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, since they may improve the app’s features like predictive analytics or tailored medication suggestions.

3. Quality Control & Testing

Thorough testing should be carried out before releasing your online pharmacy app. Usability, security, and performance testing are all included in this. Ensure that the application functions properly on a variety of hardware and operating systems. To reduce defects and guarantee a flawless user experience from the start, quality assurance is essential.

4. Marketing and User-Meeting

Remember the value of a strong marketing plan once your app is available. To connect with potential users, collaborate with healthcare providers, or utilize social media. To make it simple for consumers to locate your app online, build a strong SEO strategy for the construction of your pharmacy website. Moreover, influencer collaborations, content marketing, and paid advertisements can increase downloads and visibility.

Conclusion

It takes a mix of essential features, including a user-friendly interface, safe payment methods, and prescription administration, together with consideration for regulatory compliance and scalability, to develop a successful online pharmacy app. 

By adhering to industry best practices in healthcare app development and a user-centered approach, you can build a platform that not only fulfills client demands but also makes a distinctive impression in a crowded market.

Want to create a powerful app for an online pharmacy? To meet the demands of today’s healthcare providers, EMed Health Tech provides customized healthcare app development solutions. Get in touch with us right now to create a telemedicine or pharmacy platform that is safe, expandable, and profitable.

5-Tips-on-How-to-Drive-Efficiency-Through-Pharmacy-Software

5 Tips on How to Drive Efficiency Through Pharmacy Software

Posted on | by Ami Kothari

The pervasive nature of technology and its immense applications has transformed the face of pharmacies. From being just a place to get your meds to a business that focuses on customer relations and automation, the way a pharmacy function has been revolutionized by technology. Independent pharmacies that are reluctant to accept the new tech are finding themself losing out on the game.

This article looks at pharmacy software used to automate and optimize the operations of a pharmacy and specifically looks at how each of its features benefits the pharmacy by driving its efficiency. We also look at how online pharmacy software development happens.

 

What is a Pharmacy Software Development?

Online pharmacy apps, pharmacy software, information systems, or pharmacy management systems improve pharmacy operations, promote better patient health outcomes and increase revenue for the pharmacy. They track and report medicine costs, usage, correct medication process, compliance, and patient safety.

Pharmacy software consists of a connected computer system with multiple access points, and a user interface with the patient’s profiles, inventory management, medicine information, and billing options. Depending upon the pharmacy software you use, more features may or may not be available. These systems can be integrated with other systems, like a hospital management system.

Some of the significant features of pharmacy management software are discussed below.

features-of-pharmacy-software

1. Inventory Management System: Pharmacy owners can keep track of the medicine supply and make data-driven decisions. Connect ERP software, online stores, and marketplaces and keep a record of stock levels. Add products with various SKU (stock-keeping units) codes. Eliminates challenges for product availability.

2. Customer Management System: Manage customer data like contacts, health records, feedback, etc., in an automated solution. Pharmacists can use feedback and reviews to make better business strategies. The automated system adds new contacts to the list with every update.

3. Supply management: Pharmacists can integrate with wholesalers and seamlessly place purchase orders. Refilling stock, product performance tracking, and stock levels with a supply management module.

4. Sales management: Pharmacy software helps you to easily and efficiently manage your sales. Now you can keep track of every sale, the price of every medicine and equipment sold, and also the profit made. You can also analyze your pharmacy business prospect and the flow of cash, and get the information you required to optimize the whole sales process.

5. Reports: Pharmacy management software stores large amounts of data regarding sales, purchases, and overall performance. All of these data are aggregated into reports. These reports can be used for business strategy, inspection, and even insights into operations.

6. Integration with Third-party Software: Manage back-office operations, data flow between inventory data, medicine order software, patient records, POS (point of sale), etc. The software can manage third-party software for messages and alerts, insurance claims, etc, via integration.

Let us now look at how these features of pharmacy software increase the efficiency of a pharmacy.

How Does Pharmacy Software management Increase Efficiency?

Pharmacy management software is a significant upgrade to the operations of a pharmacy. It increases the performance and efficiency of its operations. Let us look at how the features mentioned earlier come together to increase the efficiency of a pharmacy. Read about the online pharmacy services that can benefit from pharmacy apps and websites.

Better Customer Experience

Pharmacy management software allows you to store a lot of data about a customer in the system. The purchase history of the customer, insurance information, and other medical data. All of these are valuable in building a good customer relationship. With this information, you can personalize services from the pharmacy. You can cater to the customer’s specific needs, follow up on their medicine orders and refill as per schedule. You can send out customized text messages intimating them of upcoming refills.

Pharmacists can also keep track of their allergies and provide medicines that suit them. They can also give information on medicine interactions and counteractions of medicines. Pharmacists can also suggest economical options for medicines and even suggest recurring plans for long-term illnesses. All of these increase customer satisfaction and retention, thus increasing the efficiency of the operations.

Good Resource Management

A lot of resources pass through a pharmacy. Managing them efficiently increases the overall efficiency of the pharmacy. Resources can be efficiently allocated and accounted for with the different features of the pharmacy software.

All your available stock of medicines and equipment and out-of-stock items can be accounted for using the inventory management feature. Orders dispatched to your customers, special orders, and incoming orders can all be tracked, and reports made using the order tracking feature.

All the billing activities of incoming and outgoing transactions can be managed with the invoicing functionality. You can make better decisions that improve your business with a better understanding of your financial matters. Online software can account for the business matters of multiple locations with a single platform.

Reduces Billing and Medication Errors

As a place that makes many transactions, there is always a chance for error in a pharmacy. That is when pharmacists did everything manually, with pen and paper. In the digital age, the chances of error have also significantly reduced. Most errors occur either in the billing department, where there is some counting error or in the dispensing department, where the medicine given is not the one prescribed. With computerized billing and medicine order, transactions are much more efficient, improving the overall efficiency of the pharmacy.

Offering Online Services

The pandemic and the boom of online services have made pharmacies a leading player in the online market. You’d be surprised to know how willingly customers choose an online pharmacy over a brick-and-mortar store. It would be a miss to not provide your services online too. Here is how B2B online pharmacies are bound to speed up the digital transformation of local pharmacies.

Good pharmacy software provides the provisions to engage customers through online sales portals. With effective cloud integration, your business can soar online as well. With an online business up and running, you are making the most out of your resources and thus enhancing your business prospects. Your pharmacy will have a larger customer base and better brand awareness with an online business.

Effective Sales Management

Good pharmacy software can manage your sales efficiently. It can track all the sales happening at your pharmacy. With this feature, you will know in detail about every sale, the price of each medicine or equipment sold, and the profit made with each transaction. All of these data can be aggregated to generate reports that give insights into your business. Backed with the proper data, you can optimize your business. For example, you can look at the reports, know what sells well and what doesn’t, and then replace the slower-moving item with an in-demand item.

How To Build an Online Pharmacy Software?

Now that you know how beneficial it is to have online pharmacy software to run your pharmacy, you can give your pharmacy an edge with pharmacy app development. Our team at EMed HealthTech is fully dedicated to building your online pharmacy software with finesse. As developers of the best pharmacy apps for pharmacies worldwide, we will help your business grow and thrive through well-designed, stable, and secure apps. To know more, get in touch with us today and start a free trial of SaaS pharmacy software at EMed HealthTech!

Medicine-Delivery-App-Development

Medicine Delivery App: Key Features, Cost and More

Posted on | by Ami Kothari

The pharmacy business is a lucrative one with a high-profit margin. Hence the competition in the field is also incredibly high. You would know how tough it is to keep business moving as a competitor. Staying ahead of the competition is a matter of survival. Technology is a key player in taking the business to a new level.

With online platforms to buy and sell medicines being the norm of the post-COVID world, pharmacies adopt various business development strategies to get an advantage against competitors. According to leading studies, modern customers are inclined to choose the online marketplace over the physical ones.

This article looks at what goes into the medicine delivery app development process. This will help you get started on your journey of building your app.

What is a Medicine Delivery App?

Medicine delivery apps are the online mode by which customers can buy medicine and have it delivered to their doorstep. They can choose medicines at competitive prices without stepping out of their homes.

Medicine delivery apps typically sell healthcare, OTC, and medical equipment online. Some apps also offer you the facility to book diagnostic test services online, like blood tests, full body checkups, lab tests, and preventative health checkups. Find the detailed guide on how to sell medicines using the medicine delivery app.

Medicine delivery apps have proven to be highly beneficial for pharmacies. It is beneficial for both the users and the pharmacists. Customers choose online platforms to avoid going to a physical store or if they are rendered unable due to medical conditions. Online delivery apps also provide offers and discounts which they can avail of. For pharmacists, this means they can increase sales. With better brand coverage, they can ensure that sales go up. They also have a greater reach among customers than a brick-and-mortar store would give.

 

What’s in a Medicine Delivery App?

There are typically four interfaces for a medicine delivery app. They are the Customer app, the pharmacy app, the Admin app, and the Driver app. Each of them has different functionalities. Let us look at the user-wise key features of a medicine delivery app.

Features of Customer App

  1. An easy-to-use UI – user interface
  2. Registration and login with phone number and password
  3. User profile to add useful information like address, contact details, etc
  4. Medicine-wise search & also identify the substitute medicines
  5. Upload Medicine orders in the form of pharmacist-approved images
  6. View past orders and reorder the required medicines
  7. Wallet system to make quicker payments and process faster returns
  8. Secured payments with third-party payment providers
  9. Order tracking to locate order status
  10. Interact with the pharmacist in in-app chat in real-time

Features of Pharmacy Dashboard

  1. Generate reports in just a few clicks
  2. Check the orders assigned to him

Features of Admin Dashboard

  1. Manage users and pharmacies
  2. View, manage and track orders
  3. Returns and refund management
  4. Provide category-wise discounts to customers
  5. Provide promo code and Refer & Earn facility
  6. SEO management & EMail marketing
  7. The track received orders and pending deliveries
  8. Inventory management with real-time info on stocks
  9. Different dashboards for different roles across departments
  10. Reports & Analytics to track performance

Features of Medicine Delivery Boy App

  1. Driver profile which creates a profile for each driver
  2. Delivery status, location, and order status can be understood
  3. Instant notification on delivered orders
  4. Route optimization with online maps, hence faster delivery

 

How Much Does Medicine Delivery App Development Cost?

Creating an app from scratch is an expensive process. But what decides the expenses depend upon a lot of different factors. These are some of the parameters that determine the cost of app development. There can be a great difference in the prices when you are developing the app in-house compared to outsourcing it.

  1. What features does the app have?
  2. The platforms the app runs in – iOS, Android
  3. Compliance to regulations
  4. The location where your outsourced team is based
  5. Duration of the time development process
  6. Market research and business analysis

Step-by-Step Process of Developing a Medicine Delivery App

When you venture out to create a medicine delivery app, you need to know a couple of things. First, you need to identify your unique selling prospect or USP. This has to be what sets you apart from your competitors. Let us look at the process of developing an online pharmacy or medicine delivery app.

  1. Study the Market: Before you begin, you need to know what your market size is, who your competitors are, what hurdles you may face, and the scope of growth in your region.
  2. Hire a Professional software developer company: Hiring a medicine app development company can save you from many problems you can face as they are experts in what they do.
  3. Find a business model and monetization strategy: Every business has a monetization strategy that works for them. After thorough research, you can find what works for you and your business model.
  4. Launch a prototype first: Instead of cramming all of the features into a single app and launching it, develop a basic version and add the additional features.
  5. App Maintenance: The app is not a one-time production. It requires constant monitoring for an error-free life. Even before it is launched, it has to be tested thoroughly for bugs. It is also important that you constantly update the app for the best user experience.
  6. Vibrant marketing: An app cannot market itself. You have it do it. Make sure you have a rigorous marketing strategy that ensures your app gets the maximum visibility. Once your app is out there, your advertisements should focus on building a strong and recurrent customer base.

Also, read Medicine Delivery App Development Guide for Online Pharmacies.

Summing It Up

Building a medicine delivery app is no easy task. There is so much work and effort that goes into different fronts. When all of this comes together, you get a fully functional and useful app. You can either put together an in-house team to create the app for you or outsource the job to a medicine delivery app development company. Doing it in-house can be very expensive as you have to do it from scratch, provide the technology and infrastructure, and wager on a team working together for the first time.

On the contrary, outsourcing means you are enlisting the help of experts who have done it before. An experienced and talented team like EMed HealthTech can help you realize your medicine delivery app at great speeds. EMed HealthTech has been providing app development services in the medical field and accumulating experience along the way. Reach out to us today at EMed HealthTech and start a free trial of SaaS pharmacy software.

Online Pharmacy Service: Benefits of Building Pharmacy App & Website

Online Pharmacy Service: Benefits of Building Pharmacy App & Website

Posted on | by Ami Kothari

Online Pharmacy Service: Benefits of Building Your Online Pharmacy App & Website

The pandemic has forced almost all services to find a presence or migrate permanently to the online space to ensure their survival. While becoming a preferred way for customers to shop, it is also profitable for sellers. This is true for businesses in many sectors, including healthcare. Online pharmacies are on the rise and proving to be a financially lucrative model for healthcare companies. A recent market study estimates that online pharmacies will generate a revenue of around USD 210.35 Billion by 2028.

If you’re thinking about building an online pharmacy app, this article is just for you. Read on to learn more about the potential of online pharmacy apps, their applications, and their development.

 

Why Do Pharmacies Need an App?

With the global pandemic shifting consumer patterns, a large source of pharmaceutical revenue has shifted to an online presence. However, with the potential to integrate more than just a medicine delivery system, online pharmacy services are competing to create a personalized user experience.

With an application online, a pharmacy can potentially integrate a lot of creative aspects into it, thus increasing sales and retaining customers. Some of them are:

  1. Give detailed information on the medicine order, its side effects, and dosage.
  2. Online consultation with specialized doctors.
  3. Personalized sessions with certified pharmacists.
  4. Technical solutions to find alternatives to the medicine order.
  5. Personalized setting to remind daily medicine intake.
  6. Alerts when incompatible medicines are bought together.
  7. Customized plans for continued purchases.

Bringing in these features and more innovative ideas are winning over more customers and bolting pharmacies to top positions in the market. These are proof enough that the pharmaceutical industry stands to gain from the online market.

Benefits of Having a Pharmacy App/Website

Here is a quick look at some of the perks of having an online application and/or website for your pharmacy.

  1. Low initial investments: An online presence means you can cut down on offline expenses like rent for the premises. It can also be run on minimal staff. The initial costs will however include developing a functional application.
  2. Low Risk, faster turnover: The risk associated with an online pharmacy is low compared to an offline pharmacy. You can also convert your physical space into a storage facility and use it to run a larger online presence.
  3. Consistent sales and customer retention: Unlike your brick-and-mortar pharmacy, your e-pharmacy is available 24×7. It caters to an extremely larger crowd than your physical pharmacy can afford. Hence you can expect, of course, decent marketing, and a steady and consistent sale. With personalized discounts and packages, you can also make sure you have higher customer retention.

Now, let’s talk about how to build a SaaS ePharmacy software, its features, and possible rewards for business owners.

 

How To Start An Online Pharmacy?

One cannot emphasize enough the importance of a customer-friendly user interface when it comes to online pharmacy app development. In other words, the app should be easy enough for even less tech-savvy customers to navigate and use.

Before you add various features to your app or website, it is important to have an idea of the basic flow of the ordering and delivery process. Here’s a checklist to follow:

  1. Searchbar – to find the medicine or its alternative
  2. Verification – the app/website can verify medicine order if necessary
  3. Cart – A cart is prepared to add medicines before checkout
  4. Order placement – users can order the products and choose the ideal shipping option.
  5. Payment gateway – a secure payment method featuring all payment methods.

The Core Features of an Online Pharmacy App

The core features of the application or website should cover all of the above processes and more. Here is a detailed look at the various core features that should feature in your website to make it functional.

  1. Exhaustive product catalog

Your online application should feature an exhaustive list of all your products, their availability, and details. This allows the customer to choose from similar products based on price or discounts. They can also track medicines that are out of stock, track orders, and make payments through trusted portals.

     2. Loyalty programs for regulars

A loyalty program or a discount card functions much the same way online as it is offline. But the chances of it being redeemed are higher in an online facility. Such options make sure customers come back again.

     3. Smart detections and QR scanning

It is easier for customers to simply scan the QR of a particular product or take a picture to check availability. Such systems help the customer find the medicine or its closest alternative.

    4. Customized deals and discounts

With a good marketing strategy, your online pharmacy can give customized deals and discounts to customers to increase customer retention. Special packages can be developed that take into account subscription model purchases.

     5. Feedback and testimonials

Genuine feedback can help improve customer service. Reviews and testimonials improve sales and increase the level of trust. Having a dedicated feedback section ensures building a relationship with the customer.

     6. Online Assistance

If the customer is unable to make a decision, there must be assistance provided on-site to guide them. A certified pharmacist can help customers make the right decision regarding choosing medicines.

      7. Connecting to offline stores

Linking your customers to your offline stores to redeem benefits will increase your customer retention at both online and offline stores. Having automatic location detection and clear instructions to reach your offline facility ensures you have a steady inflow of customers.

 

Final Thought

Like any industry that has created an online presence, the pharmacy stands to benefit too. It is a long-term investment and one that is going to cost you much less than you would anticipate in running a full-fledged offline store. The major expenses that you are bound to face are the ones required for web developing or application development. Once that is out of the way you can easily run your business without any hassles.

If you’re planning to build a medicine delivery app to expand your business, this is an opportune time to do it. Consult our team of online pharmacy app development experts to get started today!