
How to Develop an Online Pharmacy App: Complete Guide for 2023

Recently, the pharmacy positioning model has been evolving. Competition has intensified, both physical and online. The global online pharmacy market is projected to reach $52.33 billion by 2027. Such figures are almost two times the revenue for 2022, which will be $27.60 billion. A good online pharmacy app development solution, in this case, is to use special software, namely the launch of an online pharmacy.
Developing a pharmacy application brings many benefits. Customers can order and receive medicines remotely. This saves customers a lot of time. At the same time, the owner increases his profits, wins the trust and loyalty of customers, makes his offers more attractive to them.
Content
An app is a computer program designed to run on smartphones, tablets and other devices. To take a big step forward and grow your business, you need healthcare software development. Its main goal is to increase the flow of customers and satisfy their current needs. Also, medical applications can:
The pharmacy business is unique. It has its own characteristics and often does not even need active advertising. Nevertheless, competition in this environment is high, and you have to fight for the attention of the consumer. A mobile application for the pharmacy business is a tool that simplifies communication with the client, keeps his interest, and makes him a regular customer.
All applications for ordering medicines via the Internet can be divided into three groups:
Applications with extensive functionality. They perform remote drug ordering and order processing, support a delivery service, perform sales analysis, and more. This is a full-fledged service for the distribution of pharmacy products from the manufacturer (or pharmaceutical distributor) to the final consumer. Service – a point of collection of orders from consumers for their further processing.
In various ways, they collect information on prices and availability of medicines in pharmacies of various pharmacy chains. If the applications of the first group work only with the assortment of “their” network, then the task of the aggregator is to show data from as many pharmacies as possible.
Aggregator apps have different sources for pricing and availability data. But they all recommend checking the availability and price directly at the pharmacy before visiting the pharmacy. Thus, these services disclaim responsibility for the inaccuracy of the data.
So far, this is the smallest group. Just like price aggregators, the services collect data from a variety of pharmacy chains, but already provide the ability to place an order directly from the application. The user chooses a drug at the best price in the region and orders it directly from the application. The service receives data on prices and availability of medicines directly from suppliers and the Internet. Thus, such applications provide users with maximum freedom of choice.
Since applications for online pharmacies are the most common group, we will cover this topic in more detail. We will show you the main aspects of developing pharmaceutical applications based on our experience. You will learn the key functions of applications and their undeniable advantages!
A computer service should solve the problems of your business as much as possible and be useful for customers. For stable and productive work, a special pharmacy application must contain a set of appropriate functions. Their content and number depend on the type of application and the audience it serves. Client and administrator are the two main categories of user. Each has its own key functions of the pharmacy application.
Apps for online pharmacies have three profiles with different functionality:
Pharmacy app features and capabilities that are focused on the buyer, contain an extensive list of possible actions.
An application for pharmacy staff should have functions that provide analytics, reporting, and management. Employees should be able to edit data, enter new items into the database, remove sold goods from the warehouse.
A 3rd profile for drivers/couriers can also be provided in the mobile app. The personal account will be filled with the following functions:
These functions are basic for creating a pharmacy application. You can order such an application that will be more relevant to your business. Our team of professionals will study the specifics of your business and develop an application exclusively with an emphasis on your requirements. We do not have standard solutions, we create not a mass but an individual product.
Online pharmacies are created based on the general model of the e-commerce platform. Its creation is a complex task that needs a special approach. Pharmacy application solves more specific problems. Online pharmacy app development is best to entrust to our experienced specialists.
Developing an application for an online pharmacy is a rather complicated process that requires specific knowledge, so it is best to entrust it to our experienced specialists. Consider all the subtleties and find out what steps you need to take:
Setting goals and customer requirements, discussing the final digital product with the IT team. Study of competitors, analysis of the online pharmacy market, and drawing up a user portrait.
Result:
Visualization of the future app, user stories, and the customer journey map. Collaboration between the customer (evaluates and comments) and the developers, who refine and fix the functionality before approval. Iconography, typography, and final design style are determined.
Result:
The app is created for iOS and Android platforms. The app’s internal architecture is developed to support the correct operation of all elements (the backend part). The developer’s main task is to ensure the correct interaction of the database with the app code.
Result:
Each platform has guidelines: Google Material Design for Android and Human Interface Guidelines for iOS. With their provisions in mind, manual and automated digital product testing is performed. The app’s operation with and without permissions, reaction to different response codes, timeouts of different lengths, and modified response body are tested.
Result:
After checking that the app is stable, it’s time to release it to the market. The new digital product undergoes moderation and receives permission to be downloaded. It is also recommended to optimize the app for the style of the platform for placement: add pictures, description and screenshots.
Result:
Learn more by reading our article on the specifics of healthcare app development!
A stable working application computer service with the necessary tools and functions is an effective sales channel. We will provide a customized solution for developing applications for online pharmacies exactly for your business model. The service will allow you to overtake all competitors and reach a new level of the pharmaceutical market.
Among the most common frameworks for mobile app development are Flutter and React Native. According to a Statista survey, 42% of software developers work with Flutter, and 38% of respondents work with React Native.
Our experts use popular programming languages and technologies that will fit your app concept:
The right combinations of these technologies and the use of systems for integration make for a feature-rich app.
Cross-platform development is now at the peak of popularity. This service has a low cost due to the duplication of the same code on several platforms.
The online pharmacy app development must meet all security standards and protect the personal data of users in accordance with the following standards:
A mobile application for a pharmacy business is a rather complicated task that will take a lot of time. It is important to make a powerful database with warehouse integration so that drugs are automatically entered into the application. It is necessary to take into account the load on the application, the visual component. An important factor is the number of implemented functions. They expand the capabilities of the application but increase the development time.
At the same time, we strive for rationality and efficiency in our company. Therefore, we select the best ways to solve the tasks and choose such technologies so that the development takes as little time as possible. We can only say for sure after consultation with the customer. Then we will understand what tasks are set for us and how we will implement them.
The cost of a pharmacy app MVP depends on the scope of the project and the following factors:
The cost of full-cycle pharma app development can start from $40,000 and up. We provide a free technical consultation and calculation of the cost of your project. Don’t hesitate to ask our experts for help!
The world of information technology is increasingly intertwined with the world of medicine. E-commerce opens up great opportunities for the pharmacy business. Therefore, the application is necessary for the efficient and efficient operation of a pharmaceutical institution. The service will facilitate the performance of official duties by doctors and pharmacists, as well as ensure business expansion.
Millions of people start their day by checking their smartphones and using various apps. The level of engagement of mobile applications is several times higher than that of conventional sites. Therefore, a well-designed mobile application will make it possible to attract many more users.
Through the Internet, you will be able to expand the means of interaction with consumers in an efficient and fully automatic way. You can answer their questions without involving staff or recommend a product with a detailed photo and text. The service serves customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year.
Thanks to the language translation capabilities, your application will be able to start a dialogue with a person who speaks another language. Offer a sale or service to potential buyers whose inquiries come from another country. So you yourself will decide where, what and how to sell.
The application has more convenience when choosing products, more opportunities for offers. You can also expand the range by selling related products. Through the application, you can find out the impressions of consumers about your service and receive their feedback instantly.
Make your pharmacy stand out from the rest, use your brand for this. Your mobile app will continue to remind users of your brand even when offline. They will regularly see your service logo in their app list. This will allow you to always be the center of attention.
The Apple and Google Play app stores are visited by millions of people every day. You need your service to be properly optimized for the app store. Then it will attract more downloads, increase targeted traffic to your site. It will give you the opportunity to get backlinks from pages with high authority.
Mobile apps will help you deliver your products and services much more efficiently. Highlight and promote your unique selling proposition in the app. Improve service efficiency with personalized features and options.
The future of the pharmacy is based on getting closer to customers using the Internet. Our pharmacy application development company will help you combine the value of your online drug store with the online environment. This will be the key to unlocking the full potential of your business. We keep up with the times and innovate in all aspects of our application development.
The cost of developing a mobile app can range from $50,000 to $100,000 or more. It depends on such individual factors and features of the project:
After getting professional advice from the developers, forming the TOR, and the required functionality, you will determine the exact cost. Contact us to make a free estimate for your online pharmacy project together.
The tech stack can vary depending on the number and type of functions, the scale of the project, the operating system, and the professional preferences of the developers. For example, IT specialists use Swift for iOS and Java for Android when performing Front-end development of an app for online pharmacies.
Back-end developers use:
The choice of tech stack also depends on the existing software with which the new digital product will integrate. This can be CRM systems, schedulers, calendars, marketplaces, and payment aggregators.
Some of the most popular frameworks for mobile app development are Flutter and React Native. They are suitable for creating software for Android and iOS.
Flutter is Google’s open-source platform. It offers a large set of widgets, an API for unit and integration tests, a mobile-first 2D rendering engine, and other features.
React Native is an open-source UI development environment from Meta (formerly Facebook). It has a better JavaScript library, reusable elements, NPM for installation, and support for third-party plugins.
Trust our team of developers to choose the right and relevant tech stack for your future online pharmacy app.
The total time of work depends on a number of factors:
If you already have internal CRM/ERP/WMS, development can be accelerated by creating working software for them. If you want to implement additional solutions, you will have to adapt the platform, which will slightly increase the implementation time.
The average MVP release time is 5 to 13 months, depending on the scale of the project. Want to get a custom quote? Contact our manager!
First of all, you need to decide on the scale of MVP and the features of the future digital solution. To do this, you should study the market offers and highlight the most popular ones. On their basis, you can form the USP, which will be a key feature of the software.
After that, you should think about the tech stack, guided by factors such as security, scalability, adaptability, and popularity. The latter plays a role in project pricing. The more popular the technology, the cheaper the development and support.
You have to take into account that your target audience mainly uses mobile devices to search for and order products. So the app should be cross-platform, fast, and secure.
If you’re having trouble preparing a project, you can contact a Glorium Tech manager who can help you decide on technology and create a work plan.
You need a reliable and flexible tech stack on which to implement key functionality. In this type of app, the most common:
In addition, your app must meet regional and state data protection standards.
Also, the tech stack must be scalable to further develop your digital product. If you choose poor technology, you will have to re-release a working solution on a new platform in the future, and this is a loss of time, money, customers, and, subsequently, income.
Do you want to build a reliable and adaptive app for pharmaceuticals? Delegate the project to Glorium Tech experts. You will get a free consultation and an unprecedented level of quality for your software.
To do this, you need to decide in advance on the structure and architecture of the software and choose the optimal technical stack. That is, in advance, conduct a complete development planning with an industry audit.
In terms of implementation, it’s up to the developers, designers, and testers. The only surefire way to accelerate release is to hire Healthcare industry experts to build your digital product.
Glorium Tech provides end-to-end development services and engages dedicated teams. All of the organization’s professionals are self-organized, experts in the healthcare industry, and have over 12 years of experience in digital product development.
Contact our manager to discuss your project.
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |