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.