Shared data is widely recognised as the key to supporting universal health coverage and improving efficiencies in healthcare systems. As the ‘on-the-ground’ data relating to patients, prescriptions and adherence, pharmacy data plays a crucial role in future healthcare data ecosystems.

The World Economic Forum puts forward key use cases for shared healthcare data: the provision of optimal services tailored to individual needs; the formation of sustainable public-private healthcare models; and improved efficiency and quality of work through information sharing among professionals and stakeholders. 

The WEF notes that, to realise the full value of available data, there is a need to construct highly reliable data frameworks, minimise risks to privacy, and address cybersecurity. The WEF proposes an Authorised Public Purpose Access (APPA) framework for data governance to ensure secure and compliant data-sharing in healthcare. 

Data from pharmacies will form the cornerstone of integrated healthcare systems: linking to medical aids and doctors, supporting healthcare research and policy-making, and offering real-time views of patient medication histories to improve safety and track adherence. Pharmacies are positioned to bridge gaps between patient care, medicine management and public health surveillance, but they must ensure that their data management systems are modern, secure and compliant.

Pharma data challenges

A key challenge in the healthcare sector is the fact that healthcare data is highly sensitive and prized by malicious actors: The HIPAA Journal reports that the healthcare sector, including pharmacies, is a primary target for cybercriminals. At least 697 data breaches were reported in the healthcare sector last year, affecting the data of millions of individuals. In one of the biggest breaches last year, hackers accessed the network of Yale New Haven Health in the US and exfiltrated the data of around 5.56 million individuals.

Not only large healthcare organisations are targeted: small retail pharmacies are vulnerable too. Among the common cybersecurity vulnerabilities in pharmacies are phishing, system misconfigurations and the use of outdated pharmacy software. The risks of these were highlighted recently, when a security researcher found that an independent family-owned pharmacy in Cape Town had its Windows-based server exposed to a potential ransomware attack. 

Another challenge is that some smaller retail pharmacies have not yet adopted fully integrated digital technologies, which creates gaps in data sharing systems.  

To fulfil their critical role in a broader, integrated healthcare data ecosystem, pharmacies must evolve and embrace digital transformation, implementing highly secure, robust pharmacy management systems that allow them to become data-driven and integrate easily with supply-chain systems and professional partner networks. 

Reinventing pharmacy management, securely

Unisolv Evolve, the next evolution of Southern Africa’s most trusted pharmacy management platform, helps pharmacies move securely to a new generation of data-based operations.

Unisolv Evolve was built in partnership with the pharmacy community and designed to meet the growing demands of modern pharmacy. Backed by BCX’s local expertise and deep understanding of healthcare regulation, Unisolv Evolve supports independent pharmacies, corporates, hospital pharmacies and public-sector facilities with a scalable, secure, compliant, future-ready solution. 

Unisolv Evolve is built with security and compliance at its core. From POPIA and GDPR to PCI DSS and SAPC requirements, Unisolv Evolve protects pharmacy and patient data through encryption, role-based access and continuous monitoring. Even during internet outages, offline mode ensures uninterrupted operation with automatic syncing once connectivity returns. 

With a more modern interface, real-time dashboards and cloud-native architecture, BCX Unisolv Evolve reduces IT overheads while improving performance and resilience.

Unisolv Evolve turns pharmacy data into smarter decisions for the business, and potentially for the broader healthcare ecosystem of the future.