Choosing pharmacy software: evaluation checklist and RFP questions

How to evaluate

Start from your workflow, not a feature list. Write down your five busiest scenarios (peak-hour billing, a Schedule H sale, a purchase with scheme, an expiry return, month-end GST) and ask every vendor to run them on your sample data.

1. Shortlist 2 or 3 vendors against the checklist below
2. Run a pilot with real items and a day of parallel billing
3. Check security and commercial terms in writing
4. Speak to a reference customer of similar size

Scoring approach

Score each question 0 (not supported), 1 (partly or roadmap), 2 (fully supported and demonstrated). Weight workflow and compliance higher than cosmetics. Treat claims you cannot see demonstrated as 1 at best.

Evaluation checklist and RFP questions

Print or save as PDF

Product and workflow

• Can billing be done by barcode, brand and salt search with substitutes?
• How is the earliest-expiry batch chosen, and can staff override it?
• How are Schedule H/H1/X sales captured and reported?
• How are returns, credit notes and discounts controlled by role?
• What happens to billing when internet or power fails?

GST and accounting

• How are CGST, SGST and IGST determined, and how are rate changes delivered?
• Which GST reports and exports are provided, and in which formats?
• Is e-invoice and e-way bill data supported, and how?
• What export is available for Tally or our accountant?

Security and data

• How is data encrypted in transit and at rest?
• Where is data hosted? Is India residency guaranteed in the contract?
• What access controls, audit logs and session controls exist?
• What are backup frequency, retention and restore time objectives?
• What certifications or independent assessments exist, stated factually?
• How do you support DPDP Act obligations and who is the grievance officer?

Implementation and support

• What is the migration plan, who does the data work, and what does it cost?
• What training is included, remote or on-site?
• What are support hours, channels, response targets and escalation path?
• Is there a pilot or parallel-run option before we commit?

Commercial

• What is the full price including users, branches, add-ons, onboarding and GST?
• What are renewal terms and price-change notice?
• What happens to our data if we leave, and in what format can we export it?
• What are the SLA credits or remedies?
• Can we speak to reference customers of a similar size?

Red flags

• Certifications claimed without a certificate or scope you can verify
• No clear data export or exit plan
• Per-bill or per-user charges that appear after signing
• Demo only on vendor data, never on yours
• Vague answers on where data is hosted

Total cost of ownership

Compare three-year cost: subscription, extra users and branches, onboarding and migration, training, hardware (scanners, printers), support tiers and renewal increases. A cheaper subscription with paid migration and paid support may cost more than a higher all-in price.