System and methods for processing a drug prescription transaction are configured to identify and resolve any issue or problem associated with the transaction during one or more early stages of processing. System and methods of processing the transaction handle prescription and customer data entry, pharmacy inventory check, prescription refill authorization check and/or insurance adjudication review well in advance of production and quality assurance stages by identifying and resolving any issue or problem. Prescription fulfillment is prioritized and estimated prescription pick-up times are predicted based on one or more outcomes of such early stage processing. Customers can be provided with realistic and relatively accurate prescription pick up times that a pharmacy can efficiently and consistently meet as a result of fulfillment prioritization. Further, system and methods for determining a staffing schedule for a workflow process requiring different skill levels during different operaton times is provided.