There is no shortage of pharmacy software in Kenya. Ask ten chemist owners what they use and you will hear about generic POS tills, accounting packages with a stock module, locally built pharmacy systems and plenty of notebooks and spreadsheets. So what does Livia PIMS do that these don’t? This article sets out the differences honestly, including where a simpler tool might be enough.
The three kinds of tools most pharmacies use today
Before comparing, it helps to be clear about the alternatives.
Pen and paper. Still common, especially in smaller chemists. It costs nothing up front, but it gives you no real-time view of stock, no forecasting and no audit trail. Every report is a manual job.
Generic POS systems. Built for retail in general: supermarkets, hardware shops, boutiques. They are good at ringing up sales and usually handle basic stock. Most were not designed around batches, expiry dates, prescriptions or insurance, so pharmacies end up running workarounds beside them.
Standalone pharmacy software. Designed for pharmacies, often with batch and expiry tracking. The limitation is that it usually works alone. Prescriptions still arrive on paper, claims still go through a separate portal and the system has no link to the doctor who wrote the script.
Difference 1: it is part of a health network, not just a shop system
This is the biggest difference and the hardest for other systems to copy. Livia PIMS sits inside the Livia Health ecosystem, which links patients on the Livia Health app, doctors on Livia MD, hospitals on Livia HMIS, laboratories and insurers. For a pharmacy, that means e-prescriptions arrive directly, patient history follows the patient and the Livia Health app can send orders from patients nearby. Most pharmacy software only knows what happens inside your four walls.
Difference 2: insurance claims are checked before you submit
Plenty of systems let you record an insurance sale. Fewer check the claim before it goes out. Livia PIMS validates claims against the insurer’s drug formulary, exclusions and the member’s eligibility at the point of sale. The aim is to get claims approved on the first submission, because rejected claims are where pharmacies lose the most time and money. SHA and private insurance linkage are available as add-ons.
Difference 3: eTIMS is built in, not bolted on
Since KRA made eTIMS invoicing the norm, many pharmacies have added a separate device or a third-party provider beside their till. Livia PIMS is built to support eTIMS workflows from the same system that makes the sale: tax invoices with a CU receipt number and QR code, credit notes linked to the original invoice, buyer PIN validation and a re-printable archive for audits. One system, one set of records. Our eTIMS guide for pharmacies goes into the detail.
Difference 4: every M-Pesa channel reconciles itself
Most systems can record “paid by M-Pesa”. Livia PIMS handles M-Pesa STK push, Paybill and Till, plus cash, card and credit, and matches each payment to its sale. The owner gets a daily profit and loss summary by email before the next morning. For a busy chemist, that removes one of the most tedious jobs of the day.
Difference 5: you can bill the services you already provide
This one surprises people. Kenyan chemists do a lot of clinical work that never reaches the bill: blood pressure checks, glucose tests, malaria rapid tests, injections, wound dressing and pharmacist consultations. Livia PIMS has a service catalogue with per-branch pricing. Logging a service takes seconds, and it flows onto the receipt, the eTIMS invoice and, where relevant, the insurance claim. Livia Health reports an average revenue uplift of around 22% from service billing in pharmacies that use it. Your own results will depend on what services you offer and how busy you are.
Difference 6: AI that does real work
“AI-powered” is on every software brochure now. In Livia PIMS it has specific jobs: reading supplier invoices, prescriptions and delivery notes so nobody types them in, forecasting demand per product and per branch, and suggesting reorder quantities and prices. On the Pro and Enterprise plans these are included; on Lite they are a small monthly add-on.
Difference 7: built for Kenya, supported from Nairobi
Software designed abroad often treats M-Pesa, SHA or KRA as an afterthought. Livia PIMS was built around them. Support comes from a Nairobi-based team that understands local insurers, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board and the realities of running a chemist here, and it can help in Swahili. Livia Health also works with the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya on the digital future of pharmacy practice, and it launched Livia PIMS at the 46th PSK Conference in 2026.
Side by side
| Feature | Pen & paper | Generic POS | Livia PIMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time stock with batch and expiry alerts | No | Limited | Yes |
| Demand forecasting per branch | No | No | Yes |
| M-Pesa STK, Paybill and Till reconciled | No | Limited | Yes |
| KRA eTIMS workflows built in | No | Limited | Yes |
| Insurance claims pre-validated | No | No | Yes |
| E-prescriptions from doctors | No | No | Yes |
| Multi-branch owner dashboard | No | Limited | Yes |
When a simpler tool might be enough
To be fair, not every pharmacy needs everything. A very small chemist with no insurance patients and a handful of products might manage with a basic till for a while. But most pharmacies that grow hit the same wall: insurance volume rises, a second branch opens or KRA compliance becomes urgent. Switching systems at that point is harder than starting on one that can grow with you. Livia Lite starts at KES 2,200 a month plus VAT for a single branch, which keeps the entry cost low. Check the latest prices on the pricing page.
Questions to ask any pharmacy software vendor
- Does it track stock by batch and expiry, with alerts?
- Can it receive e-prescriptions, or only record sales?
- Does it check insurance claims before submission?
- Is eTIMS handled inside the system, or do I need another provider?
- How does it reconcile M-Pesa Paybill and Till payments?
- Where is support based, and how quickly do they respond?
Put those questions to Livia too. The best way to judge is a demo with your own workflow, which Livia Health offers with a free audit. Book a Livia PIMS demo, or start with what Livia PIMS is.
Frequently asked questions
