How to Track Medicine Expiry Dates (and Waste Less)

Short answer

To track medicine expiry dates: record the batch number and expiry date of every product when it is received, shelve and sell first-expiry-first-out (FEFO), review everything expiring in the next 90 days at least once a month, act on near-expiry stock early (sell, transfer or return), and remove, quarantine and record expired stock immediately. Software automates the recording, FEFO and the 90-day list.

Expired medicine is a double loss: the money you paid for it, and the risk if it ever reaches a customer. Most pharmacies lose a few percent of their stock value to expiry each year; some lose far more. The fix is a routine, not a heroic clean-out once a year.

Why expiry slips through

Expiry dates are not recorded when stock arrives, so nobody knows what is on the shelf.
New stock is put in front of old stock.
One product has several batches with different dates, but stock is counted as one number.
Slow movers sit at the back and are only noticed at the annual stock take.
Nobody owns the job of checking.

The 6-step method

Capture on receiptFor every batch-tracked product, record batch number and expiry date as you receive it. If a delivery line contains two batches, record both.
Shelve FEFOEarliest expiry at the front or on top. New stock goes behind.
Sell FEFOStaff take from the front; software should pick the earliest-expiring batch automatically.
Review the 90-day list monthlyList every batch expiring in the next 90 days, with quantity and value.
Act earlyFor each near-expiry batch decide: sell (promote or discount), transfer to a branch that sells faster, or return to the supplier if they accept returns.
Handle expired stockRemove it from sale immediately, quarantine it, and return or dispose of it according to local rules. Record the write-off and the reason.

How far ahead should you look?

Window	Action
6 months	Check whether current sales will clear the batch. If not, stop reordering and plan.
90 days	Main review window: promote, transfer or arrange a return.
30–60 days	Last chance for returns (many suppliers set a cut-off) and discounts.
Expired	Remove from sale today. Quarantine, record and dispose or return.

Check your supplier agreements: many accept returns of near-expiry stock only within a certain period before expiry. Knowing the cut-off is worth real money.

Receiving: the step that makes everything else work

If the expiry date isn't captured when stock arrives, every later step is guesswork. Make it part of receiving: scan or type the batch and date, check that the date isn't unusually short (some suppliers try to move short-dated stock), and reject or negotiate short-dated deliveries.

What to do with expired medicine

Remove it from all sale areas the same day.
Keep it in a clearly labelled quarantine area, separate from saleable stock.
Record the product, batch, quantity, cost and reason in your stock records.
Return it to the supplier if they accept expired returns, or dispose of it through approved channels under your country's rules.
Keep the disposal or return documents.

Rules for disposing of expired medicines differ by country and medicine type; follow your regulator's guidance.

Measure it

Track the value of stock written off for expiry each month as a share of cost of goods sold. Make it visible to the team. Pharmacies that review it monthly usually see it fall within a few months.

How software helps

Step	By hand	With poso
Capture on receipt	Written in a book	Entered or scanned per batch on the delivery
Sell FEFO	Depends on shelving	Earliest-expiring batch picked automatically
90-day list	Walk the shelves	On the Home dashboard, one click
Expired on shelf	Found by chance	Counted on the Home dashboard
Recall lookup	Paper search	Search the batch number

See batch and expiry tracking in poso.

Expiry date questions

How do pharmacies keep track of expiry dates?

By recording the batch and expiry date of every delivery, shelving and selling first-expiry-first-out, and reviewing stock that expires in the next 90 days each month. Most use pharmacy software to do this automatically.

How often should I check medicine expiry dates?

Review the list of batches expiring in the next 90 days at least monthly, check dates on every delivery, and check high-risk areas such as slow movers more often.

What is the difference between expiry date and best before?

An expiry date means the product must not be used or sold after that date. A best-before date means quality may decline after it. Medicines carry expiry dates.

Can I sell medicine close to its expiry date?

Generally yes, if it has not expired and the customer can use it before the date; some countries and products have extra rules. Check your local regulations.

How do I track expiry dates in Excel?

List each batch on its own row with product, batch, expiry date and quantity, and sort by expiry date. It works for a small range but is hard to keep current as you sell; see spreadsheets vs software.