We tend only to hear about the pharmaceutical industry in terms of the actual drug manufacturers and the laws which regulate how prescriptions should be sold and monitored; we often forget that there’s a completely different side to the industry, despite the fact that it’s even more visible to us, as consumers, than the manufacturing and regulating side: we’re talking about prescriptions as patients see them, coming straight from a doctor and being filled at a pharmacy.

Over 75% of all medical visits and treatment programs result in the patient being given a prescription, and back in 2011, all of those prescriptions combined with over-the-counter product sales at drugstores amounted to over $231 billion in the U.S. For better or for worse, America’s population heavily depends on the pharmaceutical industry and all the healthcare workers and businesses that make the industry as flexible and helpful as it is.

The small, local pharmacy is one of the most important pieces in the puzzle, and the technology these pharmacies use in order to process so many prescriptions and medical data is truly the backbone of the entire thing. Many pharmacies have been using specialized retail pharmacy POS systems for years now, and these POS systems help them keep track of both product sales and highly-regulated prescription drugs.

They come with enhanced security features (because we all know how often cyber hackings have been occurring lately, and we’re all a bit concerned about protecting personal information even if we don’t want to admit it) as well as advanced customer loyalty program management and coupon scanning features (because with the price of medications these days, can anyone actually afford to buy them without coupons?).

Quite simply, this industry is one of the most complicated industries in the country — but thank goodness it’s here.
More can be found here. Helpful sites.