The verdict in three sentences
A group of 9 independent pharmacies managing stock store by store ties up too much cash and lets 3 to 5% of its purchases expire. A centralised stock system, connected to each store's existing pharmacy management software, enables inter-store transfers, expiry alerts and better negotiated group purchasing. The market budget for a custom tool is EUR 20,000 to 50,000 (about USD 22,000 to 55,000, or 200,000 to 500,000 MAD in Morocco) in 2026, and the saving on expired stock alone often repays the project in under 2 years.
The problem with pharmacy groups
In many countries, from Morocco and France to the UK and Canada, independent owner-pharmacists increasingly band together to buy from wholesalers and manufacturers as one. The group negotiates better terms, provided it knows what each store holds, what it sells and what it risks losing. Yet pharmacy management systems usually work store by store, with no consolidated view.
| Indicator (2026 order of magnitude) | Store-by-store management | Centralised stock |
|---|---|---|
| Average stock per store | EUR 45,000 to 70,000 | down 10 to 15% |
| Expired stock destroyed | 3 to 5% of purchases | 1 to 1.5% |
| Stock-outs on fast movers | 6 to 8% of SKUs | 2 to 3% |
| Average manufacturer discount | 2 to 4% | 5 to 8% on pooled volumes |
| Time to know the group's margin | quarterly | daily |
| Inter-store transfers | by phone, untracked | suggested automatically |
The main lever is simple: a product nearing expiry in one store may sell twice as fast in another across town. The software spots it and suggests a transfer three to four months before the date.
Functions to plan and their budget
The tool does not replace each store's point-of-sale system. It pulls sales, deliveries and stock from it every night, then consolidates everything into a single database with dashboards for owners and the group's purchasing lead.
| Module | Function | Market budget 2026 (order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Connectors to pharmacy systems | daily import of sales and stock | EUR 5,000 to 12,000 |
| Multi-site stock | consolidated view, thresholds, replenishment | EUR 4,000 to 9,000 |
| Inter-store transfers | suggestions, transfer notes, batch traceability | EUR 3,000 to 7,000 |
| Expiry alerts | batch tracking, alerts at 90 and 180 days | EUR 2,000 to 5,000 |
| Group purchasing | consolidated needs, discount tracking | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 |
| Margin dashboards | margin per store, category, manufacturer | EUR 3,000 to 9,000 |
| Total project | depending on scope | EUR 20,000 to 50,000 |
Kolonell builds this kind of tool remotely on its custom application grid: medium, 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (EUR 6,100 to 10,670) for multi-site stock, transfers and alerts, complex, 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (EUR 10,670 to 22,870+) with group purchasing and multiple connectors. Maintenance is 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (EUR 53, 114 or 183). Hosting choices are quoted on request.
What to prepare before scoping
Three items speed up the quote: the name and version of each store's pharmacy system, a 12-month export of purchases and write-offs for two pilot stores, and the group's current purchasing agreements with wholesalers. With these, the expected saving can be estimated before any development starts, and the connector work can be sized precisely rather than estimated.
Regulatory constraints and health data
Moving medicines between pharmacies must respect local rules on batch traceability, especially for cold-chain products and controlled drugs, which stay outside the automated flow. The data processed is sales and stock data with no named prescriptions, which simplifies compliance with GDPR, Moroccan CNDP rules or their equivalents. Hosting location, in-country or in a compliant data centre, should be decided at the scoping stage.
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Mini case study
Karim, owner-pharmacist and chair of a 9-store pharmacy group, buys EUR 3.2 million of products a year in total. Expired stock destroyed amounts to 3.5%, or EUR 112,000. The software brings it down to 1.5%: a gain of EUR 64,000 a year. Group purchasing lifts the average discount from 3 to 5% on 40% of volumes, adding EUR 25,600. For a market-priced project at EUR 38,000 with EUR 6,000 of annual maintenance, payback comes in under 6 months.
FAQ
Does each store need to change its point-of-sale software?
No. The tool connects to existing pharmacy systems through automatic exports or interfaces. In most groups, 2 or 3 different systems coexist and are all supported.
Are transfers between pharmacies allowed?
Yes, between stores in the same group and with full batch traceability. Controlled drugs and some temperature-sensitive products stay outside the automatic flow and are handled manually.
How long does implementation take?
Allow 4 to 6 months: 6 weeks for connectors, 8 to 10 weeks for stock and transfer modules, then a 4-week pilot on 3 stores.
Can each owner see the others' figures?
Permissions are set by the group. Usually each owner sees their own detailed margin and only the available stock of the others, while the purchasing lead sees everything.
Is it worth it for 4 or 5 pharmacies?
It can be from about EUR 1.5 million of combined annual purchases. Below that, an off-the-shelf solution at EUR 50 to 150 per store per month is often a better fit.
Let's scope your project. We define with your group the connectors, transfer rules and margin dashboards, with a 3-store pilot within 4 to 6 months. 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.
