# How to open a pharmacy: steps, costs, stock, expiry dates

> How to open a pharmacy: the steps, what drives each cost, choosing first stock, pricing and margin, expiry control, a daily routine, mistakes and a checklist.

By The Dashing team · 2026-10-31

Canonical: https://dashingerp.com/en/blog/how-to-open-a-pharmacy

**The short answer:** a pharmacy is a regulated business, so the order matters. Confirm who may own and run one, and what licence and premises rules apply, with your health authority before you sign a lease. Then secure a qualified pharmacist where the law requires one, choose licensed suppliers, stock a focused first range, and track batch and expiry dates from day one. Cash is tied up in stock that expires, so buy small and count often.

![The Dashing stock screen listing items and quantities](/screens/en/inventory.png)

## The steps to open

1. **Ask the health authority first.** Rules on who may own a pharmacy, who must be the responsible pharmacist, and what the premises need differ by country. This is not legal advice.
2. **Secure the licence and the pharmacist** before spending on fit-out.
3. **Choose the premises.** Check that the unit may be licensed as a pharmacy. Storage rules for medicines and any controlled products are set by the authority.
4. **Fit out** with shelving, a counter, secure storage and a place to keep products that need a cool, dry room.
5. **Find licensed suppliers** and write down terms, return policy for expired goods and delivery days.
6. **Buy a first range** of what local prescribers and customers ask for most.
7. **Set up a till and an item list with barcodes** before the first sale.

## What the money goes to

- **Rent and deposit.**
- **Licence and registration fees**, as set by your authority.
- **Fit-out:** shelving, counter, storage and signage.
- **First stock:** the largest item. It depends on how wide your range is.
- **Equipment:** barcode scanner, receipt printer, till device and a fridge if you stock cold-chain items.
- **Staff:** the responsible pharmacist and counter staff.
- **Running costs:** electricity, insurance and cleaning.
- **A cash cushion:** stock sits on the shelf until it sells.

The [break-even tool](/tools/break-even) shows how many sales cover your fixed costs.

## Choosing the first stock

Start with the products people ask for most and avoid deep stock of anything slow. Every item has an expiry date, so a large order of a slow item is a future write-off. Keep a purchase list per supplier, such as the free [pharmacy purchase order template](/tools/templates/purchase-order/pharmacy), and count with the [pharmacy stock count sheet](/tools/templates/stock-count/pharmacy). WHO and FIP publish good pharmacy practice guidelines that describe quality standards for pharmacy services; they are a useful checklist, and your own regulator's rules come first.

## Pricing and margin

Some prices may be set or capped by the authority in your country, so check before you price. Where you are free to price, work from cost: put cost and price into the [margin calculator](/tools/margin-calculator) for each item and compare with what you pay for stock that expires unsold.

## A daily routine

- Open: count the drawer, check the shelves.
- Sell: scan each item and note the batch where your rules require it.
- Close: count cash against sales, list low items.
- Weekly: check expiry dates and move near-date stock to the front.
- Monthly: count stock against your records.

## Common mistakes

- Buying large quantities of slow items that then expire.
- Not checking expiry dates until a customer finds an old box.
- Buying from an unlicensed supplier.
- Mixing personal and pharmacy cash.
- Skipping the count, so shrinkage goes unseen.

## A checklist

- [ ] Licence and pharmacist confirmed with the authority
- [ ] Premises approved and storage ready
- [ ] Licensed suppliers and terms written down
- [ ] Item list with barcodes
- [ ] Expiry check routine written
- [ ] Cash cushion set aside

## Where Dashing helps

Dashing scans barcodes, works offline, keeps stock per item, records customer debts and supports stock counts. See [the pharmacy page](/for/pharmacy), [the invoice template for pharmacies](/tools/templates/invoice/pharmacy) and [the free plan](/free).

*Costs, licences and margins vary by country; use your own quotes.*

## Sources

Outside facts come from the sources below. The statements about Dashing rest on the Dashing pages (accessed 2026-10-31).

- WHO and FIP, ["Joint FIP/WHO guidelines on good pharmacy practice: standards for quality of pharmacy services"](https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/annex-8-trs-961), WHO Technical Report Series No. 961, Annex 8, 2011 (accessed 2026-10-31).
- Dashing for pharmacies, https://dashingerp.com/en/for/pharmacy
- The free plan in Dashing, https://dashingerp.com/en/free

## Other languages

- العربية: https://dashingerp.com/blog/how-to-open-a-pharmacy
- کوردی: https://dashingerp.com/ckb/blog/how-to-open-a-pharmacy

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