How Pharmacies Can Reduce Expired Stock

Why pharmacies end up with expired stock

Expiry losses rarely come from one bad decision. They come from buying in bulk for a discount, receiving short-dated batches without checking, and shelving new stock in front of old stock.

Track every batch, not just every product

Two cartons of Amoxicillin are not the same product if one expires in March and the other in November. Record the batch number and expiry date at receiving — it takes seconds and makes everything else possible.

Sell First-Expiry-First-Out (FEFO)

FEFO means the batch that expires soonest is sold first, regardless of when it arrived. A good system selects the batch automatically at the till so staff do not have to remember.

If your system can tell you what expires in 30, 60 and 90 days, expiry becomes a planning problem instead of a write-off.

Act 90 days out, not 9

Review expiry windows weekly. At 90 days, stop reordering. At 60 days, transfer to the branch that sells it fastest. At 30 days, consider promotions or supplier returns where your agreement allows.

• Quarantine expired and recalled batches immediately so they cannot be sold.
• Reject deliveries below your minimum shelf-life policy.
• Record write-offs with a reason for accountability.