The transactional side of healthcare has long followed a familiar and well-worn path. If you’re ill, you go to the doctor, you get a prescription for medication. Or else you go to a pharmacy and buy something available ‘over-the-counter’, perhaps after consulting the pharmacist for advice.
In either case, going to a pharmacy is an essential part of the medicine-buying journey. Pharmacies – including those that operate inside GP surgeries, clinics and hospitals – serve as a transactional and logistical hub for dispensing medications and other health-related products.
But what was once very much a physical, in-person thing – you had to actually go to the pharmacy to present your prescription and make the purchase – is changing. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a major shift across healthcare to reduce the reliance on person-to-person services. From telehealth to self-service to digital automation, more and more healthcare services are online and remote. And that’s starting to show up in pharmaceutical dispensing and POS transactions.
Driven by a range of maturing technologies, we can see 2026 being a year of major transformation in medical POS. Here are three trends to look out for.
1. Prescription Pick-Up Lockers
You’ve heard of pick-up lockers for your Amazon orders. We’re now seeing rapid growth in the concept being applied to medications. Prescription pick-up lockers work in the same way as ecommerce fulfillment lockers. You send your prescription, place your order and pay online. When the medication is ready, the pharmacist places it in a secure digital locker. And you’re sent a unique code to open it.
Prescription lockers benefit pharmacists and patients alike in several ways. They streamline collection so patients don’t have to deal with long queues, or risk a wasted trip if a pharmacy is closed. Pharmacists struggling to recruit enough staff don’t have to worry about staffing the front desk so much. Lockers also allow for collection out of hours, 24/7.
2. Automated Dispensing Kiosks
Pick-up lockers are a great solution for prescriptions. For over-the-counter medications, automated dispensing kiosks serve a similar function. They are in effect vending machines for medicines, with a few unique features to handle the safety and security requirements. Medical dispensing kiosks often include live chat and even video conferencing capabilities so customers can consult with a pharmacist before they make a purchase. They can be set up so certain products require pharmacist authorisation. And they often require customers to provide ID so purchases can be tracked.
Dispensing kiosks are often located outside traditional healthcare settings, in corporate offices, university campuses, shopping centres etc. This increases access for patients and further reduces the burden on pharmacies. They are also becoming more common in clinical settings, not just for dispensing medicines, but for managing staff access to other medical inventory like PPE, tools and disposables.
3. Mobile Point-of-Sale (mPOS)
Pharmacies remain an important hub for dispensing medications. But we’re also seeing clinics and surgeries take on more and more of this role, with many incorporating pharmacies on site. Even here though (and the same applies in hospitals), dispensing can involve a fragmented journey where the doctor writes the script in the consultation room, and the patient then has to queue at the front desk to pay and wait to get their prescription fulfilled.
We’re starting to see more and more GP surgeries and clinics use mobile POS tablets to drastically shorten this journey. With a POS tablet, doctors, nurses, and other health professionals can create and submit the subscription and take payment there and then during the consultation. You can even give patients a choice of fulfillment options – wait for it at the surgery’s pharmacy, or have it put in a locker for collection at their convenience.In summary, healthcare providers are increasingly switching on to the benefits of POS alternatives such as kiosks and mPOS. It ties in with the growing emphasis on telehealth and other models of remote, patient-led care. For patients and providers alike, it adds flexibility and choice in transactions. And it’s a trend we only see growing throughout 2026 and beyond.
Speak to an Expert
As medical POS technology continues to evolve, staying ahead of these trends will be essential for healthcare providers, pharmacies, and clinics looking to improve efficiency and patient experience. Whether you’re exploring automated dispensing, smart lockers, or mobile payment solutions, now is the time to prepare for the future of healthcare transactions. Discover how Oxhoo’s innovative POS solutions can help you modernise your operations and stay competitive in 2026 and beyond — contact us today to get started.
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