Pharmacy Delivery Software: 5 Top Solutions Compared

Delivery services are no longer a luxury add-on — they're critical to any modern pharmacy business. Today's patients expect convenient, accessible medication delivery, and pharmacists are rising to meet this challenge. 

Home delivery also represents a vital tool in medication adherence and patient care. The easier pharmacies can make prescription access, the more likely patients are to maintain their critical treatment protocols and remain loyal to a particular pharmacy. 

The evolving pharmacy delivery ecosystem

The demand for pharmacy delivery services has surged dramatically. Over the next ten years, the market is expected to grow at over 5% each year, reaching over $280m by 2034. 

Driven by an aging population, complex chronic disease management, and changing healthcare expectations, pharmacies need to develop robust delivery systems. 

The need will only intensify with the growth in telehealth services. For example, prescriptions may be automatically queued for dispensing and delivery after a virtual consultation.

Given all of this, pharmacy delivery operations need to optimize for:

• Medication urgency: Ensuring time-sensitive medications reach patients promptly
• Patient-requested delivery windows: Accommodating customer schedules while maintaining efficient routes
• Traffic patterns: Maintaining reliable delivery times during peak hours
• Temperature control: Protecting medication efficacy
• Chain of custody: Tracking controlled substances and ensuring secure handoff

For a pharmacy, the difference between profit and loss often comes down to how efficiently these variables are managed. Manual route planning or basic GPS tools aren't enough. Pharmacies need specialized software to handle this complexity and help them keep the costs of delivery down.

Four questions to ask before choosing pharmacy delivery software

Adding delivery services shouldn’t disrupt your existing pharmacy operations. Whether you’re running an independent pharmacy or are part of a larger chain, you already have systems to manage patient and prescription information, points of sale, inventory, and billing. You need a delivery management system that will fit seamlessly with what you already have. Here are four key questions to ask:

1. Is it compatible with our existing software?

Before considering any delivery software, check its compatibility with your existing pharmacy management system. Look for:

• APIs that enable integration with your Electronic Health Record (EHR) system
• The ability to automatically import orders
• Support for your current workflow

2. How will it help us manage the delivery process day-to-day?

The right software should make prescription delivery services easier, not more complex. Key features should include:

Delivery planning 

• Route optimization that allows you to plan efficient, cost-effective delivery routes
• Routes that take medication urgency and patient’s preferred delivery windows into account
• Ability to handle both scheduled and on-demand deliveries

Tracking and communications

• Real-time GPS tracking
• Accurate ETAs and customer notifications about their delivery status
• Digital proof of delivery with signature capture
• Easy communication between pharmacy staff and drivers

3. What analytics and reporting capabilities are included?

Managing delivery performance is key to maintaining profitability, and you need the data to help you do it. Look for reporting on:

• Delivery performance metrics
• Driver efficiency
• Cost per delivery
• On-time delivery rates

4. What will it cost?

 Consider all expenses, not just the monthly subscription:

• Setup and implementation fees
• Training costs for staff and drivers
• Additional hardware needs (mobile devices, temperature sensors)
• Integration costs with current systems
• Scalability: How will the costs change as your delivery volumes grow?
• Flexibility: Are the fees annual or monthly? How easy is it to increase or decrease your deliveries according to demand?

As well as asking these questions, get vendors to demonstrate how their software will save money through more efficient routes, fewer missed deliveries, and reduced administrative time. This will also be a good test of how easy they are to get in touch with! 

The right solution will pay for itself through operational improvements and growth in your delivery business.

Delivery management solutions

Several software providers offer solutions for pharmacy delivery management. We’ve selected five leaders: RxMile specializes in pharmacies, and four others offer general delivery management solutions that should be compatible with your existing pharmacy software.

RxMile: Specifically designed for pharmacies

RxMile stands apart because it’s specifically designed for pharmacies, by a pharmacist. As well as route optimization, delivery tracking, and other features you’d expect from delivery management software, it also offers:

• The ability to collect co-pays and consent for future refills at the time of delivery. 
• Full compliance records held for ten years. 
• Patient retention tools, including identifying patients that have been directed to pharmacy chains. 
• Access to a pool of qualified and vetted drivers.

On the downside, from looking at the RxMile website and watching their videos it looks like their actual delivery management features are a bit outdated. From a pure delivery efficiency perspective, it may be better to go with an app that is 100% dedicated to delivery management. But some of the RxMile features, like collecting co-pays, might be valuable enough to your business to overcome other obstacles. 

Unfortunately, RxMile doesn’t publish any pricing information on its website, so we can’t tell whether it offers value for money. 

This is definitely a case where it’s worth testing a couple of options. 

Standard delivery management software features

Before we look at the next four delivery management software options for pharmacies, it’s worth saying what they have in common. This helps us avoid repetition – and helps you understand what the baseline standard is for delivery management in 2025. All four apps we discuss below (Routific, Onfleet, Optimoroute, and Route4Me) include the following features:

• Import or upload orders 
• Optimize multiple routes and assign them to drivers
• Track delivery progress in real time through the day
• Send customer notifications, via SMS or email, about when to expect their deliveries
• Collect signature and photo proof of delivery
• Free driver mobile apps for iOS and Android 

Beyond that, each solution has different strengths and weaknesses. Let’s look at each in turn:

Routific: For the most efficient route optimization

Routific provides route planning and delivery management for local delivery businesses. It stands out for:

• A strong route optimization algorithm with driver-friendly routing
• An easy-to-use interface that needs minimal training
• Accurate ETA predictions
• A timeline view to make live tracking and monitoring of the day’s deliveries easier
• Simple drag-and-drop route editing
• Friendly and responsive customer service

There are some features that Routific is missing, however:

• No return-to-depot functionality
• No barcode scanning

💡Try Routific free for seven days to see for yourself.

Pricing: Routific is free for up to 100 orders per month. After that, there’s a flat rate of $150 per month for up to 1,000 orders, then a small fee per order. 

Onfleet: For on-demand deliveries

Onfleet provides comprehensive delivery management with a focus on flexibility in delivery timing. It stands out for:

• Auto-dispatch functionality that enables on-demand delivery scheduling
• In-app communication between drivers, dispatchers, and customers without sharing phone numbers
• Detailed driver analytics including actual vs planned stop duration
• Barcode scanning and age verification features

The main drawbacks with Onfleet are:

• A high starting price of $550 per month
• A complex interface that requires significant training
• Route quality can be inconsistent, with some users reporting messy routes
• No timeline view for monitoring daily operations

OptimoRoute: Specialized features for complex operations 

OptimoRoute offers some unique capabilities that other solutions don't have. It stands out for:

• Return-to-depot functionality that lets you schedule reloading stops during routes
• Detailed driver profiles including shifts, breaks, and specific service areas
• A breadcrumb feature that tracks actual vs planned routes
• Customer feedback collection built into the delivery process

However, there are some significant limitations:

• A complex setup process that takes time to master
• Routes can be difficult to edit once created
• The Pro plan is limited to 1,000 orders per day
• Start locations can be hard to adjust, which is problematic for contract drivers

Route4Me: Highly customizable but complex 

Route4Me is one of the original route optimization tools, with extensive customization options. It stands out for:

• Flexible territory planning and management
• Multiple ways to import addresses including scanning printed documents
• An extensive marketplace of add-on features
• Integration options with various business systems

The downsides include:

• Many basic features require paid add-ons
• A high base cost starting at $239 monthly without optimization
• Route quality issues including crossovers and inefficient paths
• Inflexible route settings that can't be adjusted for different scenarios

Finding the right fit for your pharmacy

The best way to evaluate delivery management software is to test it with your own data and workflows. Most providers offer free trials, so take advantage of these to:

• Test the integration with your pharmacy system
• Try out the route optimization with your actual delivery area
• Let your drivers test the mobile apps
• Check that customer communications work the way you want

Start with RxMile if pharmacy-specific features are critical for your business. If delivery efficiency is your priority, test solutions like Routific or OptimoRoute. The right choice will depend on your specific needs, delivery volume, and budget.