How to Use MediNest

Getting Started

MediNest is a cloud-based pharmacy management system — there's nothing to install. Create your own account, set up your pharmacy, and you're ready to go from any modern web browser.

Create Your Account

1. Open the MediNest website and click Get Started Free or Register.
2. Enter your name, email address, and a password.
3. Submit the form to complete registration.
4. Sign in using the credentials you just created.
5. Complete your pharmacy setup and begin adding your data.

Signing Back In

Return to MediNest any time and click Sign In. Enter the email and password you registered with, then click Sign In to continue.

Your First Dashboard View

After logging in, the dashboard displays a quick overview of your pharmacy:

• Total Medicines - Count of all active medicines in your catalog.
• Low Stock Batches - Items that have fallen below their reorder level.
• Near Expiry (30 Days) - Batches expiring within the next 30 days.
• Stock Movements - Recent changes to your inventory.

Dashboard Overview

The dashboard is your command center. It updates in real-time as you and your team record transactions.

KPI Cards

At the top of the dashboard, four cards show critical metrics at a glance. Clicking any card typically filters the related report below it.

Charts and Lists

• Monthly Sales vs Purchases - A bar chart comparing your revenue against expenses over the last several months.
• Low Stock List - A table of items that need reordering, sorted by urgency.
• Near Expiry List - Batches approaching expiration, so you can prioritize selling or returning them.
• Recent Stock Movements - An audit trail showing who changed what and when.

Managing Medicines

Viewing the Medicine List

Click Medicines in the left sidebar. You can:

• Search by name, generic name, or barcode.
• Filter by category or status (Active / Inactive).
• Sort columns by clicking table headers.

Adding a New Medicine

1. Click Add Medicine.
2. Fill in the required fields:
   • Medicine Name - The commercial name of the product.
   • Category - Select from existing categories, or choose "Other" to create a new one on the spot.
   • Supplier - Select from existing suppliers, or choose "Other" to create a new one.
   • Batch Number - A unique identifier for this production run.
   • Expiry Date - The date after which this batch should not be sold.
   • Purchase Price - What you paid per unit.
   • Sale Price - What you charge the customer per unit.
   • Available Quantity - How many units you currently have.
3. Optional fields include Generic Name, Strength, Dosage Form, Manufacturer, Barcode, Description, and Reorder Level.
4. Click Save Medicine.

Editing or Deleting a Medicine

On the Medicines list, click the Edit (pencil) icon to modify details, or the Delete (trash) icon to remove it. Deletions are soft-deletes, meaning the record is hidden but can be restored by an administrator.

Managing Categories

Categories help you organize medicines. They support a parent-child hierarchy, so you can have broad groups (e.g., "Antibiotics") with specific sub-groups (e.g., "Penicillins").

Creating a Category

1. Go to Categories from the sidebar.
2. Click Create Category.
3. Enter the Name. The Slug is auto-generated for URLs.
4. Optionally select a Parent Category to nest it under another group.
5. Set Status to Active or Inactive.
6. Click Save Category.

Managing Suppliers

Suppliers are the companies or individuals you purchase stock from. Keeping supplier records organized makes purchase tracking and reordering easier.

Creating a Supplier

1. Click Suppliers in the sidebar.
2. Click Create Supplier.
3. Fill in the required Name and optional fields: Contact Person, Phone, Email, and Address.
4. Click Save Supplier.

Creating Purchases

Recording purchases increases your stock and tracks expenses. Every purchase is linked to a supplier and contains one or more medicine lines.

Recording a Purchase

1. Go to Purchases and click New Purchase.
2. Select the Supplier from the dropdown.
3. Enter the Invoice Number from the supplier's document.
4. Set the Purchase Date and any optional notes.
5. Add medicine lines by clicking Add Row:
   • Select the Medicine.
   • Select or enter the Batch.
   • Enter the Quantity received.
   • Enter the Unit Cost. The line total auto-calculates.
6. Review the grand total (subtotal plus tax, minus discount).
7. Click Save Purchase. Stock updates automatically.

Creating Sales

Sales transactions deduct stock and generate revenue records. You can print professional invoices for your customers.

Recording a Sale

1. Go to Sales and click New Sale.
2. Optionally enter a Customer Name.
3. Select the Payment Method: Cash, Card, Online, or Credit.
4. Add medicine lines by clicking Add Row:
   • Select the Medicine.
   • Select the Batch. Available quantity is shown to prevent overselling.
   • Enter the Quantity sold.
   • The Unit Price defaults to the batch sale price but can be adjusted.
   • Optional Item Discount can be applied per line.
5. Review the grand total, then click Save Sale.

Printing an Invoice

After saving a sale, you are redirected to the invoice page. Click Print Invoice or use your browser print function (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P). The invoice includes your pharmacy name, invoice number, customer details, line items, and total amount.

Viewing Reports

Reports give you insight into your business performance and inventory health. All reports support date-range filtering and PDF export.

Available Reports

Generating a Report

1. Go to Reports from the sidebar and select the report type.
2. Set the Start Date and End Date.
3. Click Apply to filter the data.
4. Click PDF to download a professionally formatted report.

Managing Users

Administrators can create and manage user accounts for their pharmacy. Each user is assigned a role that controls what they can see and do.

User Roles

Creating a User

1. Go to Users and click Create User.
2. Enter the user's Full Name, Email, and Password (minimum 8 characters).
3. Select the appropriate Role.
4. Set Status to Active.
5. Click Create User.

QR Scanning

QR codes allow instant lookup of medicine details without manual searching. Each batch has a unique QR code containing its ID.

Scanning a QR Code

1. Click Scan from the sidebar.
2. Allow camera access when prompted by your browser.
3. Point your device camera at the QR code on the medicine package or label.
4. The medicine and batch details load automatically.

Manual Code Entry

If your camera is unavailable, enter the batch code manually in the text field below the scanner and click Search.

Printing QR Labels

1. Go to a medicine's detail page.
2. Click Print Label.
3. A new window opens with the QR label. Use your browser print dialog to print it.

Voice Input

Voice input speeds up data entry by letting you speak instead of type. It uses your browser's Web Speech API to convert speech to text.

Supported Fields

• Medicine Name
• Generic Name
• Strength
• Dosage Form
• Manufacturer
• Description

How to Use Voice Input

1. Look for the microphone icon next to supported fields in the medicine form.
2. Click the icon. Your browser will request microphone permission on first use.
3. Speak clearly at a normal pace. The text appears in the field as you speak.
4. Click the icon again or pause to stop listening.
5. Review and edit the text if needed before saving.

Browser Support

Best Practices

Medicine Management

• Use consistent generic names across all entries.
• Set realistic reorder levels based on your sales velocity.
• Keep categories organized and avoid creating too many overlapping groups.
• Review the Low Stock report at least once per week.
• Monitor the Expiry report monthly to minimize waste.

Inventory Control

• Follow the First Expiry First Out (FEFO) principle when selling.
• Dispose of expired medicines promptly and document the disposal.
• Keep minimum stock levels for essential medicines to avoid stockouts.
• Perform physical stock counts quarterly and reconcile with the system.

Sales Best Practices

• Always verify quantities before completing a sale.
• Select the batch with the nearest expiry date when multiple batches are available.
• Collect customer names for record-keeping and potential returns.
• Print invoices for every transaction as proof of sale.

Security

• Use strong, unique passwords for all accounts.
• Never share login credentials between staff members.
• Always log out when leaving your workstation.
• Review audit logs periodically for any suspicious activity.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Troubleshooting

I forgot my password

On the login page, click Forgot Password. Enter your email address and click Send Reset Link. Check your inbox (and spam folder) for the reset email.

I cannot log in

• Verify your email and password are correct. Passwords are case-sensitive.
• Your account may be inactive. Contact your administrator.
• Your email may not be verified yet. Check your inbox for the verification link.

I cannot see any data

• New accounts may not have data yet. Start by adding medicines or categories.
• Contact your administrator to verify your pharmacy assignment.
• Ensure your user role has permission to view the section you are accessing.

Voice input is not working

• Ensure you have granted microphone permission in your browser.
• Confirm you are using a supported browser (Chrome, Edge, or Safari).
• Ensure you are on a secure connection (HTTPS or localhost).
• Check that your microphone is not muted at the system level.

Reports are loading slowly

• Try narrowing the date range to reduce the data set.
• Clear your browser cache and reload the page.
• If the problem persists, contact your administrator to check server performance.