Solving Problems Before They’re Problems

No matter how reliable your pharmacy POS system is, there’s still a danger of something going wrong. Computers fail, and peripheral hardware gets old. And it’s completely outside of your, or anyone’s, control.

That doesn’t mean that a good portion of hardware issues can’t be prevented. And it’s actually pretty simple. 

Maintain – Dust is everywhere. And it likes to accumulate in your computers. So keep them clean. Use canned air to clean them out on a regular basis. The same goes for receipt printers. If your fingerprint readers get dirty, used a piece of tape to clean them off. Gently wipe your monitors off with a very slightly damp soft cloth. 

Proactively replace – Even the best maintenance schedule won’t make your point-of-sale hardware last forever. So be proactive about hardware replacements. Computers often run 24 x7 and the rest of your hardware is constantly in use during the day. Put things like computers on a replacement schedule. Every 3-4 years is standard. And if your PC’s run an older OS (like Windows XP) they should be upgraded as well. If you notice something starting to run a little slow, or make a funny noise, get on top of that replacement before you’re dealing with a “register down” situation.

And as always, if you’re unsure about replacement timelines or the best way to maintain a piece of hardware, just call your POS provider for the best advice.