From “Cost” to “Investment”

When you mentioned “software subscription,” what was your gut reaction? “Expense,” “overhead,” “monthly drain”? You’re not alone. Many pharmacy owners feel that way. But…what if that same subscription is the investment that protects margins, reduces losses, and drives scale?

In the current Kenyan economy, with competition, regulatory pressures, rising supplier prices, and margins squeezed in generic drugs, every shilling counts. Thinking of digital tools as costs keeps your business in short-term mode. Thinking of them as investments shifts your horizon toward profits, stability, and growth.

Putting numbers to the investment frame

• Time saved: Measure staff hours spent manually calculating or reconciling. Convert that into KSH per week; see what automation could reclaim.
• Losses avoided: Use system alerts for expiry, stock mismatches. Estimate what expired goods cost last quarter.
• Repeat customers uplift: Faster customer experience, better follow-ups, smoother service lead to loyalty. A loyal patient returning month after month compounds growth.

When pharmacy owners present the system not as “monthly cost,” but as “how many KSH I protect / gain / avoid losing,” the change in mindset happens. And that change leads to willingness to invest: in training, in faster internet, in systems that were previously “too expensive.”

Treat your system as a revenue-protecting, growth-enabling investment.