The verdict in three sentences
For a community pharmacy in Rotterdam, a Dutch certified pharmacy information system is the only sensible core in 2026, because it is built around national e-prescription exchange, medication monitoring and insurer billing. Custom software belongs on top of that core, for patient apps, delivery services or a chain level dashboard. Any option that cannot prove GDPR compliant handling of health data and connection to the national exchange infrastructure is out.
The 2026 ranking of software categories
We rank categories only, never named vendors or agencies. Figures are 2026 estimates for a pharmacy with 5 to 10 workstations.
| Rank | Category | Upfront cost | Monthly cost | E-prescription and exchange | Insurer billing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch pharmacy information system | 5,000 to 20,000 EUR | 400 to 1,200 EUR | Native | Native | Independent pharmacies |
| 2 | Dutch system plus custom patient app | 25,000 to 60,000 EUR | 800 to 2,000 EUR | Native in core | Native in core | Pharmacies building repeat orders and delivery |
| 3 | Chain level custom dashboard on top of the core | 40,000 to 120,000 EUR | 1,000 to 3,000 EUR | Via core | Via core | Groups of 3 to 15 pharmacies |
| 4 | International SaaS pharmacy platform | 0 to 10,000 EUR | Monthly subscription, public price varies by plan | Rarely connected | Rarely supported | Not suitable without Dutch connectors |
| 5 | Fully custom pharmacy system | 60,000 to 180,000 EUR | 1,500 to 4,000 EUR | Must be built and certified | Must be built | Very rarely justified |
The Dutch system ranks first because certification, medication interaction checks and insurer declarations are maintained for you. A fully custom core ranks last: rebuilding these connections is slow, costly and risky.
What each option really costs over three years
| Item over 3 years | Dutch system (800 EUR per month) | System plus patient app | Chain dashboard (5 pharmacies) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | 12,000 EUR | 45,000 EUR | 80,000 EUR |
| Subscription or maintenance | 28,800 EUR | 50,400 EUR | 72,000 EUR |
| Hardware and scanners | 8,000 EUR | 8,000 EUR | 40,000 EUR |
| Medication verification scanning | Included | Included | Included |
| Training | 3,000 EUR | 4,000 EUR | 10,000 EUR |
| Estimated total | 51,800 EUR | 107,400 EUR | 202,000 EUR |
The patient app only makes sense if it brings revenue or saves counter time: a pharmacy that moves 20 % of repeat prescriptions to app ordering and delivery can free several staff hours a day.
What to test during demos
Ask to see four operations live. E-prescription intake: receive, check and dispense a prescription from a GP system. Medication verification: scan a pack under the EU Falsified Medicines Directive and decommission it. Insurer billing: produce and correct a claim. Data export: a full export of stock and dispensing history in open formats. On GDPR, ask where health data is hosted, who can access it and how access is logged, and check the processor agreement.
Kolonell can be one of the vendors for a patient app or chain dashboard: a simple web application costs 1,500,000 to 2,500,000 FCFA (about 2,300 to 3,800 EUR) over 1 to 2 months, a medium complexity one 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (about 3,800 to 6,100 EUR) over 2 to 3 months, with maintenance at 38 to 115 EUR per month.
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Illustrative example: Sanne, owner of a busy community pharmacy in Rotterdam Zuid, dispenses around 400 prescriptions a day, of which 55 % are repeats. Counter staff spend about 3 minutes per repeat on phone calls and checks. Moving a third of repeats to a patient app saves roughly 73 repeat interactions a day, or 3.6 hours. At 35 EUR per loaded hour over 300 opening days, that is about 37,800 EUR a year, enough to cover a 40,000 EUR app within 14 months including running costs.
FAQ
What does pharmacy software cost in Rotterdam in 2026?
A Dutch pharmacy information system typically runs 400 to 1,200 EUR per month plus 5,000 to 20,000 EUR setup. Custom add ons range from 25,000 to 120,000 EUR.
Can a pharmacy use international SaaS?
Rarely, because it must connect to Dutch e-prescription exchange and insurer billing. Without those links, staff would double key 100 % of prescriptions.
Is medication verification handled by the software?
It should be: every prescription pack must be scanned and decommissioned under EU rules. Confirm the scanning flow takes under 5 seconds per pack.
When does custom software make sense?
For patient apps, delivery and group dashboards on top of the core system, typically for chains of 3 pharmacies or more.
How is GDPR handled for health data?
Health data is a special category: require EU hosting, encryption, access logging and a signed processor agreement. Budget 3 to 5 days of work for a data protection impact assessment.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of pharmacies, your core system and what you want patients or managers to do online, and we will price it with budget and timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
