When it comes time to evaluate the true costs of a pharmacy software system, you need to look at two things – the startup costs and monthly costs. Startup costs should detail what initial functionality will be in the system, what hardware you might be getting, and, what ‘add-ons’ or other features come with an additional price tag. Monthly costs are where you really dig into what’s included in the monthly fees, and what costs more.
The way startup costs and monthly fees are billed from different pharmacy software vendors vary greatly, and no two companies bill exactly alike. There is often a ton of confusion on what is considered the “best deal.” Unfortunately for the end-user, comparing pharmacy software system prices is not so cut and dry, and definitely not easy to line up multiple deals to compare them. We encourage potential new customers to allow us to analyze each deal and make side by side comparisons. Every pharmacy software vendor prices differently, and we find they often bury hidden fees within what may, on the surface, look like a cheaper deal.
First and foremost we should look at the upfront or startup costs. There are several factors that affect the initial charge when purchasing a new pharmacy system. This is another common confusing comparison for a lot of new customers and there is a lot to consider when comparing your upfront costs. First, are you purchasing hardware packages or just software? If you are looking to purchase hardware from a pharmacy software vendor it is very important to look at exactly what you’re getting, what’s included, and what’s an additional charge. Also, not every “package” is labeled the same way from vendor to vendor. Are you considering a point of sale system or only a pharmacy system? Do you have the option to provide your own hardware? While not all vendors allow you to provide your own equipment or hardware, Datascan does! If you are purchasing only software, what is included? Ask questions and speak to the vendors your considering.
Any credible company is happy to take a look at your quotes and compare their deal against another pharmacy software system. Be careful of zero out of pocket or no upfront fees. Often we see vendors offering no-cost startup, however, they roll the initial charges into long-term monthly financing that costs the pharmacy owner much more for the pharmacy system over the term of the agreement. Look at overall costs, not just what the ‘monthly payment’ is. It is very similar to buying or leasing a car—if you put nothing down upfront, those charges are only added to your monthly payments. Datascan has many flexible payment options for new customers.
Secondly, let’s look at monthly fees. Like upscale restaurants that have an a la cart menu, the same can be true when figuring out your monthly software maintenance fees for your independent pharmacy or dispensary. With many of our competitors, if you just order the software that’s ALL you’ll get. If you’re looking to simply fill prescriptions and do nothing more, then you may find yourself a very low priced system with one of our competitors, but what is it missing? As soon as you decide you would like to use the technology you read about in trade magazines, talk to your industry friends about, or see at a tradeshow, you quickly find out that deal was not such a great ‘deal’ after all. That’s when the “add ons” like drug database information, prescription image scanning, and document management, mobile refills, notifications via text and email, medication synchronization, MTM capabilities, inventory functionality, EDI ordering (and so on…..) all of a sudden may cost additional. Quickly you find yourself paying much more than you bargained for.
Datascan Pharmacy Software offers the most competitive and inclusively priced system industry-wide. Removing constant add on features from our billing allows our customers to do more with technology, without paying more. The entire deal needs to be evaluated to best determine what you’re getting and which pharmacy system would give you the most bang for your buck.
Opening a new pharmacy or moving to a new pharmacy software vendor can be very overwhelming. There are many questions that go into making a decision on the best pharmacy system for you. Ultimately the best way to make a decision is to look a deal in its entirety and speak with all vendors your considering. Ask the right questions, and get a detailed list of what is included in order to make sure you’re getting the most for your money.
