The verdict in three sentences
A pharmacy that digitises its inventory, prescriptions and click-and-collect stops throwing away expired boxes and losing sales to stockouts. In Lagos, that means NGN 200,000 to 600,000 in saved margin per month depending on size. The software pays for itself in 2 to 5 months, then protects profitability continuously.
Expiry and stockouts: the two money leaks
A pharmacy runs on a thin margin and heavy stock. Two mistakes are costly: letting a drug reach its expiry date (a dead loss of the purchase price), and being out of stock on a requested item (a lost sale, a customer gone to a competitor).
Pharmacy software tracks every batch with its date, alerts 90 days before expiry, and automatically triggers a reorder when stock drops below a threshold. The pharmacist finally manages by numbers, not by gut feeling.
| Feature | Measured gain | Indicative 2026 monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Expiry alert (90 days) | Expiry losses -60 to -70 % | Included |
| Automatic threshold reorder | Stockouts -20 to -25 % | Included |
| Scanned and archived prescription | -100 % misplaced scripts | Included |
| Click-and-collect | +10 to 15 % average basket | Included |
| Batch tracking and traceability | Compliance + product recalls | Included |
| Real-time margin dashboard | Data-driven purchasing | Included |
What the software costs
Pharmacy software combines a POS, batch-level inventory and a prescription module. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude for Lagos.
| Item | Starter plan | Growth plan | Premium plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build price (NGN) | 1,300,000 | 2,600,000 | 4,600,000 |
| POS | 1 till | Up to 3 tills | Multi-branch |
| Inventory | Per product | Per batch + expiry | Per batch + AI forecast |
| Prescription | Scan + archive | + refill reminder | + doctor/clinic link |
| Click-and-collect | No | Yes | Yes + delivery |
| Mobile money payment | Paystack | + OPay + card | + insurance billing |
| Monthly maintenance (NGN) | 75,000 | 130,000 | 210,000 |
Mini case study
Mrs Okonkwo runs a pharmacy in Lagos (Surulere) with stock valued at NGN 18,000,000. She writes off about 2 % of stock to expiry each month, or NGN 360,000, and estimates losing NGN 220,000 in sales to stockouts.
With a Growth plan at NGN 2,600,000 + NGN 130,000/month, expiry alerts cut losses to 0.7 % (NGN 126,000) and stockouts drop 22 %, recovering NGN 48,000 in sales. Combined monthly gain: NGN 282,000, minus maintenance, so NGN 152,000 net. The investment is recovered in about 17 months, and margin is protected for good.
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FAQ
Does the software track drugs by batch and expiry date?
Yes, that is the core of the system: every stock entry is logged with its batch number and date. Sales dispense the batches closest to expiry first (FEFO).
Does it work when the internet drops?
Yes: the till runs offline and syncs as soon as the network returns. No sale is blocked by an outage in Lagos.
Is click-and-collect really useful for a pharmacy?
Yes: the customer orders online, pays via Paystack or OPay, and picks up in 2 minutes without queuing. It raises the average basket and builds loyalty, especially for chronic treatments.
Can several branches be linked?
Yes, on the Premium plan: consolidated stock, inter-branch transfers, and a single dashboard for owners of multiple outlets.
Is patient data protected?
Yes: role-based access, encryption and secure archiving of prescriptions. Only authorised staff can view a patient's history.
Let's talk about your project. We build your pharmacy software with expiry alerts, click-and-collect and mobile money payment, profitable within a few months. 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.
