5 Pharmacy Apps You Need to Know

In this highly technological era, it seems that there is an app for everything. Within the pharmacy, there are many phone apps that can provide useful information with just a few simple taps of a screen, letting you save time when counseling patients, tracking medication deliveries, and even communicating more clearly with your patients. Much of the information you can find on your computer or in massive manuals is accessible on your phone or tablet device. Take a look at some of these apps and see how they can help make your life a little easier.

Google Translate

While Google Translate isn’t a pharmacy-specific app, this one is at the top of our list as being one of the most useful apps to have access to in a pharmacy. Not every customer will have a solid grasp of English, so having access to a translator right in your hand can prevent potentially dangerous miscommunications and misunderstandings. Plus, it’s free to use for anyone: Apple | Android

Epocrates

Epocrates offers drug information, interaction checks, alternative medication suggestions, pill identification, and so much more. There are several calculation tools that can be useful for dispensing and counseling patients. Contains up-to-date information that is useful on a daily basis behind the counter. This app does require a subscription to use: Apple | Android

ProDelivery Manager

Independent pharmacies often manage deliveries of medications to their customers or ship between branch locations. With ProDelivery Manager, each delivery can be tracked from the time that it leaves the pharmacy to the moment it is handed over at its destination. There are special features within the app that indicate controlled substances that require signature or what packages need refrigeration. There is a free 30-day trial available for this service, with a free download of the app: Apple | Android

MPR

Monthly Prescribing Reference’s app offers information on a variety of prescription and over-the-counter medications, including brand names, generic names, interactions, contraindications, and more. There are charts for comparisons, medical calculators, and other useful tools. You can also find safety alerts, recalls, and other pertinent news that can help pharmacists stay current on what’s happening in the medical world: Apple | Android

Pocket Pharmacist

With Pocket Pharmacist, both those in the pharmaceutical community along with consumers can find a very affordable reference for drug information. Use the app to check interactions and up-to-date information, refer patients to the app to track their medications, or join conversations with other pharmacists in the community section of the app. This app is currently free, but may have a small monthly fee for use in the near future. At this time, this app is only available for iOS devices: Apple

These are just a few of the fantastic apps available for pharmacists to use on the job. More are being created every day! While there are occasions when your computer or a good old-fashioned manual is the only thing that will do, nearly everything you need can be found in an app.