Digital transformation echoes through every sector, and community pharmacy is no exception. For many Belgian pharmacists, it might sound daunting. However, it's an essential evolution; integrating pharmacy technology not just for novelty, but for tangible improvements in efficiency, patient care, and long-term sustainability.

Patient expectations are shifting. They're accustomed to digital convenience and expect similar accessibility from their healthcare providers, including their trusted local pharmacy. This shift, coupled with the drive for integrated healthcare, makes embracing digital change no longer optional.

This strategic adoption is a cornerstone of the PGEU Pharmacy 2030 vision, particularly its digital pillar. For Belgian pharmacies, this means leveraging digital innovation to meet evolving patient needs, optimize workflows, and solidify the pharmacy's role as a vital healthcare hub.

Step 1: Find your biggest workflow headaches

Before implementing any digital solution, understand your current operational challenges. These pain points are daily friction points that consume time, frustrate staff, and impact patient satisfaction.

Examining specific areas

Dispensing areas

• Time spent deciphering prescriptions or clarifying electronic ones
  
  
• Manual data entry and transcription errors
  
  
• Locating medications in disorganized stock
  
  
• Complex insurance queries and exceptions

Inventory management

• Frequent out-of-stock situations
  
  
• Overstocking slow-moving items leading to expired stock
  
  
• Time-consuming manual stock counts
  
  
• Difficulty tracking lot numbers and expiry dates

Patient communication

• High volume of phone calls for simple queries
  
  
• Challenges communicating medication adherence
  
  
• Managing appointments for vaccinations or consultations
  
  
• Lack of systematic patient feedback collection

Administrative tasks

• Heavy billing and reimbursement paperwork
  
  
• Regulatory compliance documentation
  
  
• Staff scheduling and communication

Methods for identifying pain points

• Team brainstorming: Dedicate meeting time for everyone to list daily frustrations, find the recurring ones shared by most of the team members
  
  
• Direct observation: Watch workflows to identify stress points
  
  
• Patient feedback: Simple surveys revealing patient-facing issues
  
  
• Time tracking: Monitor how long problematic tasks actually take

By first identifying these potential headaches, you are also identifying opportunities where pharmacy technology can make a real difference.

Step 2: Decide what you want to fix first by setting clear goals

Don't try solving everything at once. Select one or two key areas where digital solutions offer the most significant improvement with reasonable effort and investment, and then you can tackle the other ones later.

Simple prioritization workflow

Consider each pain point:

• Impact: How significant would improvement be? (time saved, error reduction, patient satisfaction)
  
  
• Effort: How complex, costly, or time-consuming would implementation be?

Focus on high-impact, low-to-moderate-effort solutions, the quick wins.

Set SMART goals

Here is an example for different goals.

• Specific: Implement automated SMS for prescription-ready notifications
  
  
• Measurable: Reduce prescription-readiness calls by 30% in three months (then give the precise amount you have to reach)
  
  
• Achievable: Digitize vaccination consent forms within two months
  
  
• Relevant: Aligns with pharmacy objectives and PGEU 2030 vision
  
  
• Time-bound: Clear deadlines for achievement and milestones overview

For the full SMART goals technique, you can read our Pharmacy 2030 roadmap.

Step 3: Start small & simple

Begin with straight-forward, impactful solutions that build team confidence and demonstrate value for patients and team members.

Practical first steps

Online refill requests:

• Reduces phone interruptions and streamlines refill processes
• Patients request refills via website, app, or secure email

Benefits: Less phone time for staff, 24/7 patient accessibility, better planning

Automated phone answering: 

• Reduces time spent answering phone calls and interruptions in conversations 
• Patients get to reach the pharmacist for urgencies, but get an automated answer for basic questions on opening hours or medication availability 

Benefits: Staff more focused on in-house patients, and less time spent on administrative tasks 

Patient communication tools:

Automated SMS, email, or app messages for:

• Prescription ready notifications
• Medication refill reminders
• Appointment reminders
• Health campaign information (e.g. bulk reaching for vaccination)
• Follow-ups

Benefits: Enhanced patient service, improved adherence, reduced missed pick-ups.

Optimize already existing Pharmacy Management System (PMS):

Explore underutilized PMS capabilities:

• Reporting and analytics for business decisions
• Integration capabilities with other systems
• Request training or usage audit from your PMS provider

Benefits: Better overview of next possible steps and maximum usage of what you pay for, leading to full efficiency with your already existing tools.

Choosing the right tools

Key considerations for Belgian pharmacies

Integration with existing systems:

• New tools must connect with your PMS and Belgian eHealth systems
  
  
• Ask sellers about API availability and successful Belgian pharmacy integrations
  
  

Ease of use:

• Request demos
  
  
• Involve your team in testing
  
  
• Ensure interfaces are intuitive for common everyday tasks
  
  

Compliance requirements:

• Explicit GDPR compliance confirmation
  
  
• Data encryption and EU storage locations
  
  
• Alignment with Belgian health authority standards
  
  

Vendor support:

• Comprehensive training in suitable formats
  
  
• Reliable support channels and hours (can you contact them through emails and telephone if there is an emergency?)
  
  
• Strong reputation and references from other Belgian pharmacies
  
  

Cost and ROI:

• Consider total cost of ownership (Is it just the new tool, or other things to buy to adapt? See in the long run).
  
  
• Quantify expected benefits (time saved, reduced errors, increased revenue)
  
  
• Focus on value rather than just the upfront price (Are you gaining money in the long run?)

Getting your team on board

Digital transformation is fundamentally about changing how people work. Team buy-in is quite important for the success of digital implementation and makes the investment worth it.

Essential steps

Communicate the "Why":

• Explain benefits for staff and patients clearly
• Link changes to bigger picture goals like patient safety and Pharmacy 2030
  
  

Involve your team:

• Include team members in tool evaluation and selection
  
  

Provide comprehensive training:

• Plan initial training, follow-ups, and ongoing learning resources (mostly offered by the seller)
  
  
• Use various training styles: vendor sessions, peer mentoring, online tutorials or webinars from vendors

Celebrate small wins:

• Start with simple implementations
  
  
• Acknowledge and share successes, building positive momentum and pushing people to go beyond

Moving to strategic thinking

Initial steps build momentum, but long-term success requires a comprehensive strategy aligned with PGEU Pharmacy 2030 vision.

Strategic elements

• Long-term vision: Define your pharmacy's digital future
  
  
• Interoperability planning: Ensure systems connect securely
  
  
• Investment prioritization: Make informed resource allocation decisions
  
  
• Progress measurement: Track KPIs reflecting strategic objectives
  
  
• Future adaptation: Prepare for emerging technologies and patient expectations

A strategic approach transforms isolated solutions into an integrated digital ecosystem supporting your pharmacy's long-term success and community health role.

Conclusion

 Digital transformation doesn't require overwhelming overhauls. Start by identifying workflow headaches, setting focused goals, implementing simple tools, and engaging your team. Digital transformation is a continuous journey of learning, adapting, and innovating. Start small, but always think strategically. 

Your patients expect more accessible, personalized care. Your profession is moving decisively toward a clinical, digitally connected future. Now is the time to lead that change.

Download our free guide, Your route to Pharmacy 2030, and start translating vision into action, one strategic pillar at a time.