Tamil Nadu Drug Control Directorate have implemented strong amendments to all pharmacy stores especially regarding expiry management. Unsold medicines should be disposed with 15 days of their date of expiry and drug inspector will empowered to cancel trade licenses of erring pharmacies.

To ensure tracking of medicines from pharmacies, chemists have been asked to issue bills to customers that will include the name of the drug, quantity purchased, cost, batch numbers and the date of expiry. This being followed strictly in some of the cities across India. Expiry management in pharmacy is crucial and cannot be taken at ease.

Are the pharmacist notified by the software about the expired item?
Being a Pharma retailer there are instances you might get into a chaos state, when your not able to identify which item purchased from which distributor got expired. This is where a good pharmacy expiry management software will help you.

” Prevention is better than cure”
GOFRUGAL believes it applies the same when it comes to GOFRUGAL pharmacy software. We take expiry management in pharmacy very seriously and hence came forth with a comprehensive expiry cycle module. With this module from Gofrugal you can address prevention, identify easily, remind to return, earn respect and credibility from your customers [by providing quality products that are not short expiry], and get a credit note.

So, What is Expiry Management in Pharmacy?

Expiry management in pharmacy helps businesses manage the incidence of expired drugs. Expiry management also helps with determining
1) What goes on your list accurately
2) The correct method of expired medication disposal
 

Why should you manage drug expiry in the pharma industry?

In the pharmaceutical industry, expired drugs pose a significant threat to both safety and profitability. Pharmaceutical expiry management ensures expired or nearly-expired products are identified and removed before they reach the billing counter to reduce the risk of adverse effects and legal issues. Failure to properly manage drug expiry can lead to substantial financial losses due to unsellable stock, wasted resources, and fines for non-compliance with regulatory requirements.

By implementing expiry management in a pharmacy, businesses can protect patient safety, maintain compliance with industry standards, and optimize inventory, ensuring only safe, effective drugs are available for sale.
 

How to manage expiration dates in pharmacies

Managing expiration dates efficiently in pharmacies is essential for reducing waste and ensuring regulatory compliance. Pharmacies can implement the following strategies: 

• Apply the FIFO (First-In, First-Out) method - Organize stock in a way that older products are sold before newer ones, reducing the likelihood of items expiring on the shelf.
• Utilize expiration date management software - Adopting expiry date management software, or expiration date management software, automates the tracking of expiration dates and provides alerts for products nearing expiry.
• Regular audits and monitoring - Perform frequent stock audits to identify nearly-expired products and take action before they become unsellable. Expiry management in retail is particularly important as expired stock is illegal and can lead to customer dissatisfaction and reputational damage.
• Supplier coordination - Collaborate with suppliers to return or exchange products nearing expiration, further reducing waste.

By integrating these methods with pharma expiry management software, pharmacies can streamline their inventory processes, minimize expired stock, and improve operational efficiency.
 

Benefits of pharma expiry management software

Implementing pharmaceutical expiry management software provides a range of benefits for pharmacies and retailers, including: 

• Automated tracking and alerts - Expiry date management software, or expiration date management software, automatically monitors the expiration dates of all products and provides timely alerts so staff can quickly remove or return items before they expire.
• Reduced waste - By identifying nearly-expired stock early, businesses can take proactive measures to avoid financial losses and reduce waste. Expiry management in pharmacy settings ensures pharmacies don’t overstock and helps them maintain optimal inventory levels.
• Compliance with regulations - Strict regulatory requirements exist for drug expiration, and pharma expiry management software helps pharmacies meet these standards by ensuring expired drugs are not sold or distributed.
• Enhanced customer trust - Customers expect safe and effective products. With expiry management in retail and pharmacy environments, businesses can build customer confidence by consistently offering high-quality, safe medications.
• Better inventory control - By integrating pharmaceutical expiry management with existing inventory systems, pharmacies can balance their stock levels to prevent overstocking and understocking. This leads to more efficient purchasing and storage practices.
   

How Gofrugal’s Pharmacy Expiry Management Software helps retail Pharmacies?

Our reorder feature helps replacement and replenishment will happen at the same time, so it will not have any  negative impact in capital investment, no prescription bounce, & no opportunity lost. Retailer can reorder the products that are going to expire in next 60 days, once the products are received he can return and replenish the inventory

With GOFRUGAL’s Short expiry notification feature in purchase you can prevent short expiry item from being purchased from the distributor. How it works? If a distributor supplies short expiry product, the software notifies a warning message on screen saying the entered items is going to expire within N days. This gives an edge for the chemist over purchase so they can decide whether to allow it or not

GOFRUGAL is shortly launching the exclusive short expiry purchase alert. Even when the owner is out of the shop he/she can have control over purchase. [ Lets take a real time scenario ” When the distributor supplies 100 items when the owner is not in the shop, there are instances were their might be few short expiry items being supplied. Meanwhile the employee working in shop also makes purchase entry and saves the bill. Once the bill is saved an alert will be sent to the owner via (SMS and mail). So the owner has complete control over purchase even when he is not present in the shop.

Also with GOFRUGAL’s short expiry feature in sales identify items that is going to expire shortly, that helps pharmacy owners to take decision (sell out if its is a fast moving item or return non moving items to distributor before expiry date that helps getting considerable % of money back from distributor).

Being a Pharma retailer there are instances you might get into a chaos state, when your not able to identify which item purchased from which distributor got expired. In GOFRUGAL’s expiry return screen, with distributor wise item list feature easily identify the items that got or going to expire along with respective distributor name also you can return it based on MRP, purchase rate or landing cost as per your need.
 

Success story: Ayurvedic pharmacy reduces waste with Gofrugal's Expiry Management

An example of Gofrugal’s expiry management software in action is D G Ayurvedic Sangrah, a pharmacy based in Mumbai. Niraj Shah, the manager, was facing significant challenges in managing the expiry dates of his diverse range of Ayurvedic products. After implementing Gofrugal’s expiry management module, he was able to set up automatic alerts for upcoming expiries, ensuring products close to expiry were sold first. This system reduced waste by 20%, improved stock visibility, and helped maintain optimal inventory levels.


 

Expiry management in pharmacy includes numerous challenges. But keep all your challenges away by investing in a good pharmacy expiry management software or Gofrugal’s expiry management features in simple works. Start using GOFRUGAL’s effective expiry management that helps you manage a risk-free business operation and have peace of mind.

FAQs

How do you manage expired drugs?

Managing expired drugs in pharmacies and retail settings requires implementing an expiry management system. Many pharmacies and retail outlets use expiry date management software that tracks and sends notifications when products near their expiration. This helps staff proactively remove or return these items. Additionally, using a First-In, First-Out (FIFO) system and conducting regular stock audits are essential practices in expiry management in pharmacies to minimize expired stock.

How do you reduce expired stock in a pharmacy?

To reduce expired stock, pharmacies can benefit from pharma expiry management software that offers automated alerts for products nearing expiration. This allows pharmacies to take action before products expire. Key strategies include:

- Implementing expiry management in retail and pharmacies using expiration date management software.
- Optimizing inventory with a FIFO system to prioritize the sale of older stock.
- Coordinating with suppliers for the timely return or replacement of nearly-expired products.
- Effective pharmaceutical expiry management ensures reduced waste and better control over stock levels, leading to fewer expired products on shelves.
 

What is the rule for expired drugs?

Expired drugs must be removed from circulation once they reach their expiration date, as per regulations in pharmaceutical expiry management. Selling or distributing expired medications is illegal, as their safety and effectiveness cannot be guaranteed. Pharmacies must use expiry date management software to comply with industry rules by tracking expiration dates and ensuring expired drugs are safely disposed of or returned through authorized channels.

What is "shelf life" in a pharmacy?

"Shelf life" refers to the period during which a drug remains safe and effective for use and sale; managing this is a key part of pharma expiry management. Pharmacies should utilize expiry management in pharmacy software to monitor the shelf life of their stock so only medications within their shelf life are dispensed. Proper expiry management in retail and pharmacy environments ensures compliance and the continued safety of customers.