Pharmacy Inventory Management Notes

Pharmacy Inventory

• Maintaining appropriate inventory is essential for daily pharmacy operations.

• Pharmacy technicians should know all aspects of inventory control, including medications and supplies.

• Too much inventory:

  • Medication expiration.

  • Diversion potential.

  • Capital tied up.

• Too little inventory: delays and partial fills.

Ordering

• Knowing when and how much to order is vital.

• Reorder Points and Reorder Quantities (ROP/ROQ):

  • System using set parameters to identify when and how much to order.

  • ROP: set minimum stock level for reordering.

  • ROQ: identifies how much of the medication should be ordered.

  • Computer software is used to review trends and automatically set levels.

  • Shelf bins are labeled with medication descriptions, order numbers, and ROP/ROQs.

• Responsibilities of pharmacy technicians when ordering prescriptions:

  • Review computer-generated orders and edit as needed.

  • Manually log items to be ordered.

  • Fill out DEA-222 forms for C-II controlled substances (max 10 items per form) and have them signed by a pharmacist.

  • Visually inspect fast movers and emergency medication shelves.

  • Notify the pharmacist if an item is on back order or discontinued.

  • Print copies of submitted orders.

Receiving

• A proper receiving system lessens the likelihood of error and improves efficiency.

• The receiver should be different from the submitter to prevent diversion.

• Responsibilities:

  • Verify supplier name/address and order quantity against the purchase order.

  • Inspect shipments for damage and note observations.

  • Prioritize products needing extra care (temperature, controlled substances).

  • Wear PPE when handling hazardous medications.

  • Check the following to maintain the accuracy of a shipment:

    • Name

    • Brand/trade name (trademark of the originating manufacturing company)

    • Quantity

    • Dosage

    • Strength

    • National Drug Code (NDC) number

  • Sign and date the invoice.

  • Check expiration dates.

  • Bring new, discontinued, partial fills, special orders, or back-ordered products to the pharmacist's attention.

Stocking

• Stocking shipments in a timely manner is critical.

• Attention to the following:

  • Check expiration dates of new products against existing stock. First In, First Out (FIFO) method.

  • Inspect products for anything unusual.

  • Report any findings to the pharmacist.

  • Communicate recurring prescription patterns to purchasers to prevent stock shortages.

  • Use ROP/ROQ to identify items to order.

  • Examine stock for damaged or recalled products.

• Monitor expiration dates.

  • Pull medications expiring soon (e.g., in 3 months or less).

  • Return medications to the distributor/manufacturer for credit if possible.

  • Medications can lose effectiveness or become toxic after expiration.

  • Monitor nursing units and automated dispensing machines in institutional settings.

  • Shared responsibility among pharmacy technicians; records are kept.

  • Color-coded stickers can signal expiring medications.

  • Adjust ROPs and ROQs based on expiration trends.

  • Manually adjust on-hand inventory based on policies.

  • Check refrigerated areas for outdated medications, ensuring temperatures are in range.

  • Wear PPE when checking hazardous medications for expiration dates.