The verdict in three sentences
For a pharmacist-owner who coordinates eight pharmacies, the main financial lever is pooled wholesale ordering, which usually brings an extra 3 to 6% discount on purchases. Standard pharmacy software handles the till and the stock of one store well, but it cannot consolidate eight stocks, split a shared order or run expiry alerts across the whole group. A custom layer costs around 12,000,000 to 28,000,000 FCFA (about 18,300 to 42,700 EUR, 2026 ballpark) over 4 to 6 months, and it connects to the existing pharmacy systems instead of replacing them.
What the group actually needs to run
Eight pharmacies buying separately from the same wholesalers leave money on the table. Each store negotiates alone, orders small quantities and discovers expiring boxes too late. A pharmacy group needs four functions.
The first is consolidated stock: a real-time view, product by product, of what each store holds, with quantities, batches and expiry dates. The second is pooled ordering: aggregate the needs of eight stores, send one order to the wholesaler, then split the delivery by store. The third is expiry management: alerts at 90, 60 and 30 days, plus transfer suggestions from an overstocked store to one that sells faster. The fourth is steering: margin per store, turnover, stock-outs and the commercial terms obtained from each wholesaler.
| Group need | Standard pharmacy software | Custom group software |
|---|---|---|
| Till, prescriptions, insurance billing | Yes, core product | No, stays in existing tool |
| Stock of one pharmacy | Yes | Read through sync |
| Consolidated stock of 8 stores | No or very limited | Yes, by product, batch and date |
| Pooled order and split delivery | No | Yes, one order, eight deliveries |
| Group-wide expiry alerts | Per store only | Yes, at 90, 60 and 30 days, with transfers |
| Wholesaler discount tracking | No | Yes, obtained versus negotiated |
| Owner dashboard | Separate reports | Single view, store comparison |
The right design keeps each store's till software and builds a group layer on top that reads stock, computes needs and issues orders.
Budget and timeline: 2026 ballpark
Cost depends mostly on how many different pharmacy systems must be connected, the quality of their stock exports and how far order automation goes. The ranges below are 2026 market estimates for West Africa, not fixed quotes.
| Work package | 2026 ballpark (FCFA) | Indicative timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, stock and flow mapping | 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Connectors to pharmacy systems | 2,500,000 to 6,000,000 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Consolidated stock and product master | 2,500,000 to 5,000,000 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Pooled orders and delivery split | 3,000,000 to 7,000,000 | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Expiry alerts and transfers | 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Dashboards and owner mobile app | 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Total project | 12,000,000 to 28,000,000 | 4 to 6 months |
Connectors are the most uncertain item. If all stores run the same software with a clean export, the cost stays low. If the eight pharmacies use three different tools, one of which only exports a spreadsheet, plan for a semi-automatic import and more testing. Kolonell application maintenance follows its public grid: 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (53, 114 or 183 EUR) depending on the service level.
What to check before signing
First, the product master. Wholesalers and pharmacy systems do not always share the same codes, and without a reliable mapping by product code and pack size, the pooled order will carry errors. Second, group governance: who approves the shared order, at what time, and how conflicts between stores are settled. The software should encode these rules, not invent them. Third, confidentiality: sales data stays sensitive even between partners, so access must be split by role. Fourth, connectivity: stores must keep working during outages, with sync resuming afterwards.
Mini case study
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Dr Ndiaye, a pharmacist-owner, coordinates eight pharmacies across Plateau, Mermoz, Parcelles Assainies and Rufisque in Dakar. The group buys roughly 95,000,000 FCFA of medicines per month from two wholesalers. With pooled ordering it gets an extra 4% discount, that is 3,800,000 FCFA per month or 45,600,000 FCFA per year. Avoided expiries add to this: they represented about 1.2% of purchases, or 1,140,000 FCFA per month, and store-to-store transfers recover half, 570,000 FCFA per month.
Estimated monthly gain: 3,800,000 + 570,000 = 4,370,000 FCFA. For a 20,000,000 FCFA project, payback comes in just under 5 months after go-live. Even with only a 3% discount, payback stays under 7 months.
FAQ
Do we need to replace each pharmacy's software?
No. In 8 cases out of 10, the till software stays in place and the group layer reads its stock through sync. Replacing eight till systems would add months of training and dispensing risk.
What extra discount can we expect from wholesalers?
The 2026 range observed is 3 to 6% depending on volume and order regularity. The software mainly helps prove consolidated volume and check that the negotiated discount appears on every invoice.
How long until a first usable version?
A first release with consolidated stock and expiry alerts can ship in 8 to 10 weeks. Full pooled ordering and delivery split follow, for a total project of 4 to 6 months.
What happens during an internet outage at a store?
The store keeps selling with its local software. Stock movements sync once the connection returns, usually with less than 15 minutes of lag in normal use.
Can we start with four pharmacies only?
Yes. Starting with 4 pilot stores lowers risk and validates the connectors before rolling out the other 4, often in 3 to 4 extra weeks.
Let's scope your project. We define your group's consolidated stock, pooled ordering and expiry alerts with you, plus a store-by-store rollout plan. 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.
