The 5 IT services all pharmacies need

If you operate a pharmacy, you’re probably a pharmacist. What you aren’t is an IT professional. You’re not large enough to need a dedicated IT department, so who is monitoring your network? Who is maintaining your computers? And who knows what issues to be aware of and when? At Think Concepts, that’s what we do every day.

Want to ensure best practices and manage your IT costs? Then your pharmacy operations need these five key things:

1. Patching and monitoring.

Out-of-date software and hardware are the most common sources of IT issues, presenting security holes hackers can exploit, as well as causing bugs or issues with your machines. That’s why the warranty, patching, and compliance status of all your machines and software programs must be monitored and kept current. With ThinkAhead, we’ll ensure your software is up to date, including Windows and third-party applications, where at least half of vulnerabilities originate. Because browsers can potentially allow third parties to access your computer, we monitor and update them regularly and can control Windows and application updates as needed. Updating your machines yourself would take you at least 15 minutes per PC or, for just $6 a month per machine, we can do it for you!

2. Managed antivirus.

If you have an off-the-shelf antivirus program but don’t actually monitor and update it frequently, it’s effectiveness at protecting your systems is heavily impacted. With ThinkProtect, we can do that for you, using our cloud-hosted central management server to regularly enforce software updates and security policies. If you don’t yet have antivirus software installed, we can get you set up.

3. Secure cloud backups.

Issues such as malware or system failure can compromise patient data and spell disaster. A good backup system should automatically save critical data at least once a day and allow for easy rollback should something go wrong. Our ThinkSafe cloud backup service protects you against data loss. If the unexpected happens, we can remotely restore your data and quickly get you back up and running. Remember: If you do experience a serious data breach, under the Privacy Act 2020, you are required to notify affected parties and the Privacy Commissioner as soon as possible.

4. Managed IT support.

You may think you don’t need proactive IT support because you have only a few machines. But the cost of downtime and poorly managed and maintained systems has been shown to be a higher cost to a business than employing IT professional to manage your systems properly. By taking a proactive approach, you can maximise operational efficiency. Our managed support services include oversight and ongoing recommendations to improve overall performance and minimise downtime and computer issues. And, when things go wrong, you need someone who can quickly jump in and get it sorted. Our IT experts can remotely access your computers and take control to quickly resolve any issues for a reasonable, and fixed, monthly fee.

5. Pharmacy-specific expertise.

An IT provider who understands your industry and its priorities can troubleshoot issues without the need for lengthy, and costly, troubleshooting. Recently, a Windows update caused Kyocera printers and the computers they were used on to crash whenever they tried to print. Anyone who knows pharmacy knows that not being able to print is a nightmare – typically far less the case for other industries. Think Concepts performs managed updates to prevent problems like these.

We’ve supported pharmacies for over 18 years now, so we’re often aware of industry-prevalent issues before they even affect you. Fixes we’ve already made for other pharmacy clients can be rolled out to you as well, and we do that proactively wherever possible. We can suppress updates known to cause incompatibilities, which happens often in the health sector, due to your use of bespoke systems such as the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) network. Because many of the MOH’s systems are managed centrally by government agencies, they tend to be older and issue-prone. We know what anomalies to watch out for.

Managed services just make sense

Think about how many times you experience computer or network issues in a year. Then think about the cost of that downtime, including the time it took to repair and, where necessary, notify other people. A managed services contract, at an affordable and predictable cost, prevents security issues and data loss, and gives you support when and where you need it.

With Think Concepts looking out for you, you’re far less likely to experience situations that require complex, time-consuming fixes, saving you money in the long run. And if you don’t need your tech support hours, just bank them for when you do. Should no ad-hoc needs arise during the contract period, we can use the remaining time to perform an IT assessment and make recommendations to improve your infrastructure and network security. And if you have any custom requirements, we can create a package tailored to your needs.

Dale McCullough & Reza Benefeld (Auckland Consultants)

Contact us for a no-obligation consultation so we can assess your IT needs and how we can best help you, and your business, success with technology.