Cardinal Health Launches Retail System for Independent Pharmacies

• By Laurie Watanabe
• Jun 01, 2023

Cardinal Health has launched payment solutions, powered by Square, to help independent pharmacies to better manage their businesses.

In a May 31 announcement, Cardinal Health said the new system is designed to help pharmacies “increase operational efficiency, stay current with customer payment preferences, and access integrated software tools,” and added, “The collaboration with Square allows Cardinal Health to offer its independent pharmacy customers access to innovative products that can seamlessly manage business operations; integrate flexible payment options for in-store, online and delivery purchases; and reduce payment processing costs.”

Square, originally known for its credit/debit card readers, now offers “an integrated ecosystem of commerce solutions,” Cardinal Health noted, including purpose-built software. The new collaboration “allows Cardinal Health to offer its independent pharmacy customers access to innovative products that can seamlessly manage business operations, integrate flexible payment options for in-store, online and delivery purchases, and reduce payment processing costs,” the announcement said.

Brad Cochran, Executive Vice President of Retail Distribution for Cardinal Health, said, “Through our work with Square, we can offer our customers options to stay current with payment trends as well as business tools and insights to help them streamline their operational workflows for greater efficiency. Modern payment solutions will enable community pharmacists to offer the personalized care their patients value, while providing greater flexibility for the pharmacy to meet their customers’ evolving preferences.”

The benefits of this new partnership include pharmacy customers having flexible payment options, including text to pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. “Easy-to-use dashboards allow the pharmacy to track sales and payment transactions, whether customers are paying during home delivery, online, at the drive-through, or at the counter,” the announcement said. “Independent pharmacies can meet their buyers wherever they are.”

Vijay Vachani, GM of Developers & Partners for Square, said, “Consumers today want the convenience of shopping in person or online with delivery or in-store pick up options, combined with the personalized attention independent pharmacies offer to their customers. Through our collaboration, Cardinal Health can provide a unified experience that enables pharmacies to meet these evolving customer preferences. Our work with Cardinal Health showcases the power of Square's developer platform and its ability to make innovative commerce tools accessible to businesses of all types and sizes. What's more, this collaboration reinforces Square's and Cardinal Health's shared mission to empower local, independent businesses to thrive in their communities.”