Pharmacy expiry check routine: a daily, weekly and monthly checklist
A simple routine that tells each staff member what to check and when: daily alert review, weekly shelf walk at 90, 60 and 30 days, and a monthly expiry review that improves purchasing.
By the RunMyPharmacy team · Updated · 5 min read
Published by the RunMyPharmacy team, which builds the software linked in these guides. Examples are educational; verify local legal and professional requirements. About the team
Why a routine matters more than an alert
Expiry alerts tell you which batches need attention. They do not move stock, contact suppliers or remove expired packs. A pharmacy loses money to expiry when alerts appear and nobody acts on them.
A routine solves this. It gives each check a time, an owner and a written result. The checklists below are a starting point; change the days to suit your store.
Daily: review new alerts (10 minutes)
- Open the expiry alerts at the start of the day.
- For any batch that has expired, go to the shelf, remove the packs from sale and put them in the quarantine area.
- For any new critical alert (30 days or less), check the shelf and confirm the quantity.
- Write down what you found and what you did, then close the alert.
Weekly: walk the shelves by expiry tier
Once a week, walk the shelves with the list of batches that expire in the next 90 days. Use this table to decide the action for each tier:
| Days to expiry | Tier | Shelf action | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 or less | Watch | Confirm the batch is in front of newer stock | Will it sell at normal demand? |
| 60 or less | Warning | Move it to the most visible position | Contact the supplier about a return or exchange if it will not sell |
| 30 or less | Critical | Count the packs | Final decision: sell, return or plan the write-off |
| Expired | Expired | Remove from sale at once | Quarantine, record and return or dispose |
During the walk, also look for packs without a matching record, damaged packs, and packs that are not in expiry order.
Monthly: review losses and fix purchasing
Once a month, the owner or manager reviews the results with the person who runs the routine:
- What expired this month, and what was its value at cost?
- Which products appear on the expiry list again and again?
- Which returns are still waiting for a supplier credit?
- Which minimum stock levels and order quantities should change?
Record the monthly expiry loss. When the number goes down over several months, the routine is working.
Set up a quarantine area
Keep a separate shelf, box or cabinet, clearly labelled "Not for sale", away from the dispensing area. Expired, recalled, damaged and returned-by-customer stock goes there until a decision is made. Keep a simple log of each item: date, product, batch, quantity, reason and final action.
Never return quarantined stock to the sales shelf without a recorded decision from the responsible person.
Make the routine stick
- Put the daily and weekly checks on a fixed day and time, for example the quietest hour of the morning.
- Name an owner and a backup.
- Keep the written checklist at the counter, and sign each completed check.
- Train new staff on the routine in their first week.
How RunMyPharmacy supports this routine
RunMyPharmacy checks every batch daily and raises shelf alerts at 90 days (watch), 60 days (warning) and 30 days (critical) before expiry, and again once a batch has expired. Each alert shows the product, batch number and days remaining. A manager or admin dismisses an alert with a reason after acting on it, so open alerts are the work still to do. The reports page lists products that expire within 30 days, and expired batches are never deducted at the counter.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a pharmacy check expiry dates?
Review new expiry alerts every day, check the shelf for near-expiry stock every week, and review expiry losses once a month. A full shelf-by-shelf check is also useful a few times a year, and whenever records and shelf disagree.
Who should be responsible for expiry checks?
Name one person, and a backup for leave days. Other staff can help with the shelf walk, but one person must make sure that every alert is checked and closed.
What should I do with expired medicine?
Remove it from saleable stock at once and keep it in a separate, clearly labelled area. Record the quantity and value. Then return it if your supplier accepts it, or dispose of it following the applicable rules.
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