Senior Editor Bill Schiffner recently had a chance to chat with Kevin Minassian, president at Datascan Pharmacy Software and look at how the independent pharmacy technology landscape has evolved, what independent pharmacists need from their software vendors today, and why family-owned specialists on the vendor side are becoming increasingly rare.
Q: Tell us a little about your company and the products you make, services you provide and how they help independent pharmacies.
Minassian: Datascan provides pharmacy management software built specifically for independently owned community pharmacies. Our platform includes core pharmacy software, fully integrated point of sale, workflow tools, delivery management, mobile refill technology, compounding, LTC support, central store management, and nearly 100 third-party integrations. The goal is simple: help independent pharmacies operate more efficiently, stay profitable, improve patient service, and remain independent.
Datascan is one of the few family-owned pharmacy software vendors left in the United States today. We have been focused on retail pharmacy software dating back to 1981. As this industry has evolved, so has our company and our pharmacy-focused software. From the early adoption of electronic live claims to electronic prescribing, we have always made sure our clients never had to wait for the technology to grow their businesses.
Q: Where does technology meaningfully reduce vulnerability—and where does it merely “paper over” structural pressures?
Minassian: Technology can meaningfully reduce vulnerability in all areas of a pharmacy, especially when it has specifically designed features that are easy to use by both staff and management. Well-implemented software can reduce tedious manual work, improve visibility, protect margins, and help pharmacies do more with the valuable staff they already have. To put it briefly: good software supports good staff.
Once staff are well-trained and the software and processes are effectively implemented, technology should help reduce errors, speed up filling, simplify billing, manage deliveries, improve adherence, and make the business easier to run.
Unfortunately, software can’t fix many of the issues that plague the modern pharmacy industry. It can’t fix low reimbursements, PBM pressure, staffing shortages, or unfair market dynamics. Bad technology can actually make things worse if it adds complexity, creates lock-in, or forces pharmacies to buy add-ons they do not need. That’s why it’s important to find pharmacy management software that works for you.
Q: Workflow automation tools now help define how a community pharmacy competes—what does “good automation” look like in an independent setting?
Minassian: Automation should be paired with the needs of the individual pharmacy. It should reduce clicks, reduce rework, prevent bottlenecks, and give the owner and staff clear visibility into what is happening at every step.
Independent pharmacies have to keep up with their communities’ needs and the unique demands that they bring daily. Every pharmacy has a slightly different workflow, staffing model, delivery process, and patients. Automation should be scalable and easily adaptable to every pharmacy’s unique needs.
Q: If you could boil it down to the top 5 “must-haves” independents demand from their core platform today, what are they—and why?
Minassian: My top 5 list includes:
1. Reliability: You have to work every day; your system should too. Downtime is not just inconvenient; it directly affects patients and revenue.
2. Integrated workflow: Filling, billing, POS, delivery, adherence, and patient communication need to work together for optimal patient care and to prevent silos.
3. Strong support: Independent pharmacies need knowledgeable support networks that they can reach when there is a real problem. Fast-responding U.S.-based teams with experience in the industry are best positioned to provide this essential support.
4. Transparent pricing: Many large pharmacy software companies are owned by major corporations that are able to charge extra for basic fees, often after a client has already signed up for basic services. Hidden fees, forced add-ons, and forced vendor relationships cost more just to make the software vendor more profits. Then, contracts make it hard to leave.
5. Flexibility and integrations: Pharmacies need software that works with robots, IVR, delivery tools, adherence platforms, hardware, and other systems they already depend on.
Q: What are the top sources of friction in an independent pharmacy workflow that software should eliminate first?
Minassian: This can vary depending on the pharmacy, but there are some usual suspects when it comes to pain points. Duplicate data entry, prescription status inconsistencies, inefficient filling queues, billing and claim issues, inventory visibility, delivery coordination, and POS systems all cause problems.
Software should eliminate anything that forces staff to stop, search, re-enter information, or ask another team member what is happening. In a busy pharmacy, those small delays add up quickly.
Q: In practice, how important is vendor support compared with the software itself?
Minassian: Support is just as important as the software. A great platform with poor support becomes a liability. Independent pharmacies don’t have IT departments, so they rely on their vendor when something goes wrong, when staff need training, or when the business changes.
Good support helps pharmacies get the full value out of the system. It also builds trust. In this market, pharmacies are not just buying software; they are choosing a long-term operating partner.
Q: As AI enters pharmacy operations, what are the highest-value near-term use cases for independents?
Minassian: AI has the potential for excellent case uses, some of which are the most urgent needs for pharmacies. Reducing data entry time, speeding up data retrieval, improving patient communication, and identifying bottlenecks are valuable applications. On the managerial side, reporting insights can be a way to make a pharmacy run cleaner, faster, and more profitably.
Q: If an independent is reassessing their platform this year, what questions should they ask any vendor to avoid ending up trapped or under-supported?
Minassian: They should ask:
1. What is included in the core system, and what costs extra?
2. Are there forced or locked vendor relationships, such as the switch, credit card processor, etc, or required third-party products?
3. How fast does support respond? What is the process like if we have to escalate an issue above support, and expected response times?
4. How long does onboarding take, and what training is included?
5. Can the system integrate with the tools and vendors we already use?
6. What happens if we want to leave, and what are the specific contract items that hold us accountable?
7. Who owns the company currently, and when was it last sold? How many pharmacies does the software company currently support?
The biggest mistake is choosing a system based only on a demo. Independents should evaluate the full relationship: software, support, pricing, flexibility, and trust.
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