About Apotek 1
- Norway's largest pharmacy chain
- More than 450 pharmacies across Norway
- More than 5,000 employees
- Provides medicines and pharmacy services to the Norwegian healthcare sector
- Headquarters: Lørenskog, Norway
Preparing for digital pharmacy services
The authorities' introduction of e-prescriptions necessitated a comprehensive renewal of pharmacy systems to facilitate digitized prescription dispensing. Stricter requirements were introduced to protect patient privacy and ensure that only authorized personnel could access prescription information.
Apotek 1 needed to modernize and strengthen its identity and access management and engaged Cloudworks to conduct an IAM assessment. It was important that the solution met strict security requirements without compromising either employee usability or the customer experience.
Meeting strict security requirements
With the introduction of the new in store data systems, requirements were set for using the highest security level for login. The company's solution at the time was based on local IT infrastructure and decentralized operations in each individual pharmacy.
The analysis project worked with the hypothesis that procurement would be simplified by centralizing user management and standardizing roles. This will lead to scalability, better control and simplification of tasks related to access management and control.
Testing authentication in real-world scenarios
Finding the right authentication solution required more than technical evaluation. Cloudworks tested different authentication methods in a real pharmacy environment using simulations and role play to understand how each option performed in daily operations.
Solutions including fingerprint readers, mobile applications, security keys, and access cards were evaluated against predefined criteria such as login speed, usability, operational reliability, and security.
The testing showed that while fingerprint authentication offered fast login, operational reliability and hygiene made it less suitable. The insights helped Apotek 1 identify an authentication approach that balanced security, usability, and operational requirements.
Building the right foundation
By completing an IAM assessment before procurement, Apotek 1 gained a clear understanding of its security requirements, authentication options, and organizational needs. This reduced implementation risk and provided a solid foundation for selecting an IAM solution that balanced security, usability, and operational efficiency.
The final report also provided clear recommendations, giving Apotek 1 the confidence to move forward with procurement.
