Digitalisation of the pharmacy industry is just beginning: the opportunity awaits

Although ecommerce has grown in Finland across all industries, ecommerce in the pharmacy sector has not yet been fully utilised. Legislation permits it, the technology is ready, and customers increasingly expect the pharmacy to be where they are: online.

Many Swedish and German pharmacy chains have already made ecommerce the most important growth channel for their business. In Finland, however, the potential is still almost untouched. Now is the time to get ahead, while competition is still moderate and customer trust is easy to win.

Why now?

  • Consumer behaviour has changed permanently
  • Digital prescription services are already part of everyday life
  • Pharmacy chains are looking for new service models
  • Legislation allows and supports supervised activity
  • Technology is no longer a bottleneck

Codaone is involved in building the pharmacy of the future, not just technically, but also from a business perspective. We understand that it is not just about code, but about trust, medicine safety and customer experience. That is why we build solutions in collaboration with pharmacies: listening, documenting and responding.

Safe shopping path

Authentication and encryption

In a pharmacy’s ecommerce store, transactions often involve sensitive information. If the order concerns prescription medicines, age-restricted products or personal products, the customer must identify themselves securely. In practice, this means strong identification, for example via the Suomi.fi service, and an encrypted connection (HTTPS).

  • Data is transmitted over an encrypted connection
  • Personal information and payment details remain protected
  • The customer knows they are transacting confidentially and securely

Backend system reliability

Security does not end with authentication. The systems behind an ecommerce store are responsible for things like stock synchronisation and reimbursement logic. These need to operate in real time so that the product range and order path reflect actual availability.

  • Prescription and stock information is up to date
  • Reimbursements are calculated correctly
  • Operational reliability is built on integrations

Up-to-date product information

Information on pharmacy products often comes from databases maintained by authorities or industry associations. It is important that information such as active ingredients, possible side effects and price is regularly updated in the store.

  • The source can be, for example, the Finnish Pharmacists’ Association’s Tuubi
  • Updates are often published twice a month
  • The Magento store receives the data automatically

Scalable product information management

As the product catalogue expands, managing information for individual products can no longer be done in a spreadsheet. A PIM (Product Information Management) system, such as Akeneo, meets this need.

  • Brings together descriptions, images, categorisations and technical data
  • Publishes information to multiple channels from one place
  • Connects to Magento via a REST API

This means that, for example, releasing a new product or doing a mass update is handled centrally, without errors.

Information security and regulatory requirements

A pharmacy’s ecommerce store operates under regulation. GDPR, Class A information security requirements, cookie controls, audit capabilities and permission management are not optional.

  • A GDPR-compliant customer register
  • Cookie management and consents
  • Permission allocation and an audit trail

Information security is not a separate area, but structurally part of the digital service.

Experience matters

Building an online pharmacy requires a combination of skills: knowledge of intermediary systems, understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, and ecommerce business expertise. Codaone has been involved in building some of Finland’s first Magento-based online pharmacies.

  • Understanding of the Prescription Centre and Kela interfaces
  • UX testing, including feedback gathered from pharmacy events and test groups
  • Technical and operational cooperation with pharmacies

Practical testing and response

Pharmacy systems cannot be fully tested in isolation. For example, prescription and Kela reimbursement interfaces cannot be fully tested in a test environment, so the launch is carried out in managed, supervised stages. This requires the partner to be ready for quick fixes.

  • A staged, supervised launch
  • Disruptions must be responded to without delay
  • A ready-made process for fault situations

Online pharmacy powered by Codaone

Codaone specialises in Magento ecommerce and the specific requirements of the pharmacy sector. For us, Magento is not just a technical platform: it is a flexible, requirement-meeting foundation on which we can also build a digital service that takes a pharmacy’s particular characteristics into account.

Our pharmacy customers choose us when they need:

  • Understanding of pharmacy regulation and the system environment
  • Technical expertise that extends from architecture to usability
  • A partner who manages integrations, maintenance and continuous development
  • A mindset where ecommerce is not a one-off project, but part of the pharmacy’s service

If you want to build an online pharmacy service that can withstand time, regulation and customer expectations, let’s discuss further.