Pharmacy Suite (India)

An end-to-end pharmacy shop system for Windows, built for Indian retail pharmacies.

• Desktop app (Windows, Electron): billing, medicine catalogue, batch and expiry tracking, purchasing, customers and suppliers, GST tax invoices, reports, staff accounts, backups.
• Works fully offline. All data lives in a local SQLite database on the shop computer.
• Optional cloud sync. When the internet is available, each shop uploads its changes to a central server and downloads changes from other branches. When it is not, the shop keeps billing and syncs later.
• Sync server (Node.js + SQLite): stores each branch's data separately and offers a sales summary.

pharmacy/
├── apps/
│   ├── desktop/          Electron + React app (installers for Windows, macOS and Linux)
│   │   ├── electron/     Main process: database, business rules, GST, sync, IPC
│   │   ├── src/          React UI
│   │   └── test/         Business-rule, GST, prescription and sync tests
│   └── server/           Central sync server (Express + SQLite) and its tests
└── .github/workflows/    CI: runs tests, builds installers for all three platforms

• Currency and dates: rupees with lakh/crore grouping (₹1,23,456.00), dates as dd/mm/yyyy, financial year April to March.
• MRP is GST-inclusive. The app splits each line into taxable value and GST, the way Indian pharmacy bills are read.
• Intra-state split: GST is shown as CGST + SGST (half each). Equal halves are the normal case for a retail counter sale.
• Invoice numbers follow <till code>/<financial year>/<serial>, for example C1/26-27/125. Each till has its own code (set under Settings → Shop details), so two tills never issue the same number. Voided bills stay in the list, so there are no gaps.
• Validation: GSTIN must be 15 characters in the correct format; HSN must be 4, 6 or 8 digits; GST rates are limited to 0, 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent.
• Shop details on every invoice: GSTIN, drug licence numbers (Form 20 / Form 21), registered pharmacist and registration number.

Requirements: Node.js 22. Development can run on Windows or Linux. The installer targets Windows.

# 1. Sync server (optional for single-shop use)
cd apps/server
npm install
BRANCH_KEYS="main:change-this-to-a-long-random-secret" npm start

# 2. Desktop app
cd apps/desktop
npm install
npm run rebuild      # rebuilds the SQLite module for Electron (once after npm install)
npm start            # builds the UI and launches the app

On first launch, create the owner (admin) account, then fill in Settings → Shop details: pharmacy name, address, GSTIN, drug licence numbers and the pharmacist. Set the till code to C1 (or a code unique to this till).

cd apps/server  && npm test   # sync protocol: auth, push, pull, last-write-wins, paging, branches
cd apps/desktop && npm test   # billing rules, GST maths, MRP, round-off, prescriptions, FEFO, voids,
                              # roles, GST and register reports, and two-device sync against the real server

Installers are built by GitHub Actions on native runners, so each platform compiles its own SQLite module.

Local builds (run the one for your OS on that OS):

cd apps/desktop
npm ci
npm run dist:win         # Windows, on Windows
npm run dist:mac:arm64   # macOS, on a Mac (or dist:mac:x64 for Intel)
npm run dist:linux       # Linux

Workflow (.github/workflows/build.yml):

1. Every push and pull request runs the server and desktop test suites.

2. If the tests pass, the four installer jobs run in parallel. Each uploads its files as a workflow artifact (kept 30 days), available from the run page.

3. Pushing a version tag such as v1.0.0 also creates a GitHub Release with all installers attached and generated release notes:

   git tag v1.0.0
   git push origin v1.0.0

   The version comes from version in apps/desktop/package.json. Keep it in step with the tag.

4. Run it manually at any time from the Actions tab (Run workflow).

Before you give installers to customers

• Icon: apps/desktop/build/icon.png (512×512) is a placeholder. Replace it with your logo. electron-builder generates the Windows .ico and macOS .icns from it.
• Windows code signing: unsigned installers trigger SmartScreen warnings. Add a code-signing certificate through electron-builder's win.certificateFile / certificatePassword options (store them as GitHub secrets).
• macOS signing and notarization: unsigned DMGs are blocked by Gatekeeper. Users can open them with right-click → Open the first time. For a smooth install, add an Apple Developer ID certificate and notarization credentials as secrets and enable mac.identity / notarize in electron-builder.yml.
• Linux: the AppImage runs on most distributions after chmod +x. The .deb is for Debian and Ubuntu.
• Native module check: each build recompiles better-sqlite3 for Electron. If a build fails there, check the job log for the node-gyp step first.

Keys are configured through BRANCH_KEYS, one per branch:

BRANCH_KEYS="main-street:long-random-secret-1,north-branch:long-random-secret-2"

cd apps/server
docker build -t pharmacy-sync .
docker run -d -p 8080:8080 \
  -e BRANCH_KEYS="main-street:long-random-secret-1" \
  -v pharmacy-data:/data \
  pharmacy-sync

Put it behind HTTPS (for example Caddy or nginx) before using it over the internet, because API keys travel in the Authorization header.

In the desktop app, enter the server address and branch key under Settings → Cloud sync and tick Enable sync. The key is encrypted with Windows DPAPI.

• Offline first. Every write goes to the local database immediately. Sync never blocks a bill.
• Changes are tracked per row with updated_at, a soft-delete flag and a dirty flag. A cycle pushes dirty rows, then pulls everything after this shop's cursor.
• Stock cannot conflict. Stock is an append-only movement ledger, so two offline branches can each sell from the same batch and both sales are kept.
• Other records use last-write-wins on updated_at. Bills are not edited after completion; a void adds a status change and reversing stock movements.
• Each till keeps its own invoice serials (its till code), so offline tills cannot issue duplicate numbers.

The software applies the rules above, but compliance remains your responsibility. Please confirm the following with your CA and a registered pharmacist:

• GST rate and HSN per product. Medicine rates change and some are exempt. The app stores whatever you enter; it does not look up rates.
• Intra-state only. Bills always show CGST + SGST. Interstate sales (IGST) and the state-based place of supply are not supported.
• Not included: e-invoicing (IRN), e-way bills, GSTR-1 / GSTR-3B filing, and the Drugs & Cosmetics Act register formats as prescribed by your state. The app produces the data for these; it does not file them.
• Schedule X is treated like Schedule H1 (prescription and record required). Retention periods and any state-specific controls for narcotic-type drugs are not enforced.
• Drug licence renewal dates are not tracked. Keep your Form 20/21 licences valid.
• Prescription checks. The app records the prescription details but cannot verify the prescription. The pharmacist remains responsible for dispensing decisions.
• Till codes must be unique across all tills of the same GSTIN. Set them once and do not change them after invoices exist.
• Round-off is applied to the bill total, and the GST summary is calculated from line values. Check the figures against your accounts before filing.
• Other limitations: no dedicated returns flow (use a void or a negative stock adjustment), users are local to each computer, and thermal printing goes through the Windows print dialog.

Back up the desktop database regularly from Settings → Backup.