Expired stock is a loss twice: you cannot sell it, and selling it by mistake is a risk to patients and to your name. Most problems come from not knowing, at the moment of sale, which batch you are handing over.
Track by batch, not just by item
Two boxes of the same medicine can have different expiry dates. If your records only say how many you have, you cannot know which one to sell first. Record the batch number and expiry date when stock arrives.
First expiry, first out
Sell the batch that expires earliest first. Doing this by memory fails on a busy day, so the best fix is a till that picks the earliest valid batch itself, and refuses to sell an expired one.
Look ahead, not just at today
A weekly look at what expires in the next sixty days gives you time to return stock to suppliers, move it to a faster-selling shelf or discount it. An expiry register that lists these for you turns this from a chore into a five-minute habit.
Keep prescriptions with the sale
For controlled medicines in particular, keeping the prescription attached to the sale gives you a complete record if anyone asks later.
Import your list instead of retyping it
Starting with a new system is easiest when your medicine list can be brought in from a spreadsheet file rather than typed again.
A simple weekly routine
- Open the expiry register and list batches expiring soon.
- Move or return them.
- Count a few shelves and post any differences.
- Check that the week’s sales and purchases have reached your books.
Rules for medicines differ and change. Follow the requirements of your drug regulator; software only helps you keep records and avoid mistakes.