How to Send Automatic Billing Reminders to Patients?

Assuming your team spends at least 2 hours every day on reminder calls, that's 60 hours per month, or approximately 15% of your team's total working hours. Moreover, you also have to spend time generating and sending invoices to patients, which can take up to 45 minutes every night, using Excel or other manual tools. This not only takes away from your core business activities but also leads to revenue losses when patients forget to pick up their refills. According to industry estimates, pharmacies can lose up to 20% of their revenue due to missed refills. In your case, this translates to a loss of ₹50,000 per month, considering your average monthly revenue is ₹2.5 lakhs.

The problem is further complicated by the need to comply with GST regulations, which require you to generate and send invoices to patients, with the correct GST rates and HSN codes. For instance, most medicines attract a 12% GST rate, while essential medicines like insulin and oral rehydration salts are exempt from GST. Medical devices and equipment, on the other hand, attract a 12% GST rate. Your team needs to be aware of these rates and codes to ensure accurate billing and avoid any penalties.

To manage billing reminders and invoices, you can follow these steps:

1. Create a patient database using Excel or a paper register, with columns for patient names, contact numbers, prescription details, and refill dates.
2. Assign a team member to call or message patients every day, using the database to keep track of refill dates and patient contacts.
3. Use WhatsApp groups or individual messages to send reminders to patients, making sure to include the prescription details and refill dates.
4. Generate invoices manually, using Excel or a paper register, and send them to patients via email or WhatsApp.
5. Keep track of GST rates and HSN codes, using the GST website or consulting with a tax consultant, to ensure accurate billing and compliance with regulations.

However, this manual process has limitations. For instance, your team may miss calling some patients or send reminders to wrong numbers, leading to missed refills and revenue losses. Moreover, generating invoices manually can be time-consuming and prone to errors, especially when dealing with multiple GST rates and HSN codes. You also need to ensure that you are filing your GST returns on time, with the correct invoices and payment details. As per GST regulations, pharmacies with a turnover above ₹40 lakhs need to file their GST returns every month, with GSTR-1 due by the 11th of the following month and GSTR-3B due by the 20th.