Repeat customers are the base of a pharmacy
Every neighbourhood medical store has customers who come back every month for the same medicines: blood pressure tablets, diabetes medicines, thyroid tablets, test strips. These customers are steady business, but they are also easy to lose. If the medicine is out of stock once or twice, or if they forget their refill and buy from a shop near their office, the habit breaks.
Serving them well is mostly about being organised. You need to know who they are, what they take and roughly when they will need it next.
Know your regular customers
Start by saving the mobile number on bills for customers who buy chronic medicines. Over a few weeks, you will have a list of regular customers and what they buy. Ask their permission before you save details for reminders, and keep the list to what you need: name, number and the repeat medicines.
- Save the mobile number on every bill for repeat medicines
- Note the usual quantity, such as one month's supply
- Record the date of each purchase
- Mark customers who prefer a call over a message
Keep their medicines in stock
Once you know your regular customers, you can estimate monthly demand for each chronic medicine. Set minimum stock levels based on this. If ten regular customers each take two strips a month of a certain tablet, never let stock fall below that before the next order arrives.
This is where a low-stock alert is more useful than a large buffer. You avoid both running out and carrying too much short-dated stock.
Remind them before they run out
A simple reminder a few days before a refill is due is helpful for many customers, especially elderly ones. Keep the message short and plain: the store name, that their monthly medicine is ready, and your timing. Do not add medical advice in the reminder. Any questions about dosage or changes should go to their doctor or be discussed at the counter with the pharmacist.
Small services that build trust
Regular customers remember small things more than discounts.
- Keep their medicines packed and ready when they arrive
- Offer to note the next refill date on the bill
- Tell them in advance if a brand will be short
- Keep a copy of their usual list so a family member can collect
Respect privacy
The medicines a person takes are private information. Only staff who need it should see customer details. Never share a customer's list with anyone else, and do not send reminders to a number unless the customer agreed. If a customer asks you to stop, remove them from the list straight away.
Be careful when a family member collects medicines. Follow your usual practice for prescription medicines and check with the customer if you are unsure.
Common mistakes to avoid
These turn a helpful service into an annoying one.
- Sending too many messages or promotional offers with reminders
- Giving dosage advice in a message
- Letting the list go out of date when customers move or stop
- Reminding customers when the medicine is not actually in stock
Plan for festivals and holidays
Distributor deliveries slow down around long holidays and festivals, and many customers travel. A week before such a period, look at refills due over the holidays and make sure stock is in. Some customers may want to collect two months together before travelling, so ask them in advance and keep that extra quantity ready. This simple planning prevents the rush of customers asking for the same chronic medicine on the one day your distributor is closed.
Review the list every month
Once a month, look at which regular customers did not come back. Some may have changed doctors or moved, which is normal. If several stopped together, check whether stock shortages or long queues played a part. This short review tells you more about your store than any survey.
How VegaMed helps
VegaMed saves repeat medicines against a customer's mobile number and shows a list of refills due, so you can contact customers in time. Low-stock alerts help keep their medicines on the shelf, and purchase history is visible at the counter. Book a free demo on WhatsApp at +91 95116 38160 to see refill reminders with your own setup.
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