7 min read · 24 September 2026
How to manage medical store inventory and medicine stock
Most stock problems in a medical store come from three things: not knowing which batches you hold, reordering by guesswork, and finding expired strips too late. Here is a simple system that fixes all three.
1. Track stock by batch, not just by medicine
Enter every purchase with batch number, expiry, MRP and cost. Your stock for a medicine is then the sum of its batches, and you always know which batch is on the shelf.
This is also what lets you trace a customer complaint or a recall to the exact supplier invoice.
2. Set a reorder level for fast movers
For each regularly sold medicine, decide the quantity at which you want to reorder — usually a week or two of normal sales plus the supplier's delivery time. Review a low-stock list daily instead of walking the shelves.
3. Sell first-expiry, first-out (FEFO)
Keep short-dated stock in front and bill it first. Software that picks the earliest-expiring batch at billing does this even when staff forget.
4. Count regularly, in small parts
A full stock count is hard to do often. Instead, count one rack or one company's products each week and correct differences. Over a few months the whole store gets counted.
5. Watch stock value, not only quantities
Stock value at cost tells you how much money is sitting on your shelves. If it keeps rising while sales are flat, you are over-buying.
- Check low-stock list daily
- Check expiry list weekly
- Review stock value monthly