How to Track Medicine Expiry in a Pharmacy: A Practical Weekly Routine
Expiry losses build up quietly when batches get mixed on the shelf. Keep batch records from day one, sell the earliest expiry first and run a short weekly check.
An expired strip on the shelf is money you cannot recover, and an expired strip sold by mistake is a much bigger problem. If you are looking for how to track medicine expiry in a pharmacy, the answer is a mix of good records and a small, steady routine, not a heroic clean-up once a year. This guide covers the records to keep, how to sell older stock first, and a weekly check you can finish in under an hour.
Why expiry slips through
Most expiry losses are not caused by carelessness. They come from the way medicines arrive. The same product turns up in several batches, each with its own expiry date, and stock from different deliveries gets mixed on one shelf. When your records show only the product and a total quantity, nobody can tell that twelve strips from an old batch are hiding behind forty fresh ones.
How to track medicine expiry in a pharmacy: record batches on arrival
The cheapest moment to capture expiry is when the goods arrive. For every item you receive, note:
- The batch number and the expiry month and year.
- The quantity, in strips or packs.
- The purchase rate and the MRP.
- The supplier and the bill number.
If you use software, enter these on the purchase entry so the batch is attached to the stock. If you use paper, a separate batch register works better than a single page per product.
Sell the earliest expiry first
The rule is first expiry, first out. It is not the same as first in, first out, because a newer delivery can carry an earlier expiry date. On the shelf, put the shortest-dated packs in front. At billing, pick the batch that expires soonest. When your billing screen lists batches by expiry, staff follow the rule without having to remember it.
Run a weekly near-expiry check
- Choose a fixed day and time, ideally a quiet one.
- List everything expiring in the next 90 days. Many pharmacies use 90, 60 and 30 days as three alert stages. Choose what fits how fast your stock sells.
- Move the 90-day items to the front and mark them with a coloured sticker.
- For items inside 60 days, decide what to do: sell first, return or exchange.
- For items inside 30 days, act. Ask the distributor about return or credit, and keep the rest ready for removal.
- Note what you did, so next week starts from facts.
What to do with near-expiry stock
- Ask your distributor about return and exchange terms. Many accept short-dated goods within a stated window, but terms differ, so check before you buy.
- Offer a sensible discount where it is allowed, always at or below MRP.
- Never sell expired medicine. Remove anything past its date from the sales area at once.
- Keep expired stock separate in a labelled box, away from saleable stock, and dispose of it as the rules for your area require.
Buy smaller quantities of slow movers
Slow-moving products cause most expiry loss. Check how many strips you sell in a month, and do not order more than a month or two of supply for a slow item unless the supplier’s scheme clearly beats the risk. Items with a short shelf life, such as some syrups and injectables, need extra care.
LocalPOS records batch numbers and expiry dates on every bill and shows what expires in the next 30, 60 or 90 days, so the weekly check starts with a ready list. Because stock updates with every purchase and sale, that list stays current.
Written by the LocalPOS team. Tax, legal and compliance points are general guidance. Please confirm them with a qualified professional for your own business.