What is first-expiry-first-out (FEFO)?

FEFO means selling the batch with the earliest expiry date first, whatever order the stock arrived in. It is the safest way to keep expired medicine off the shelf and to reduce write-offs.

How often should a pharmacy check expiry dates?

At least once a month, with a list of everything expiring in the next 60 to 90 days. That leaves time to sell, move or return stock before it expires.

Medicine batches and expiry dates: a practical guide for pharmacies in Sri Lanka

How to track batches and expiry dates, sell the stock that expires first, and stop losing money to expired medicine. A practical routine for small pharmacies.

Expired medicine is money lost twice: once when you paid for it, and again when it has to be removed from the shelf. For a small pharmacy carrying hundreds of products, each with several batches, keeping track of expiry dates by hand is hard. This guide sets out a simple routine that works on paper and works even better with software.

This is general guidance on stock control. Always follow the requirements of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) and your licence for storing, selling and disposing of medicines.

Track every batch, not just every product

The same medicine can sit on your shelf in two or three batches, each with its own batch number and expiry date. If you only track the product, you cannot tell which strips expire next month and which expire next year.

When stock arrives, record for each product:

the batch number,
the expiry date,
the quantity received,
and the supplier, so you know who to contact about returns.

Sell the batch that expires first (FEFO)

First-expiry-first-out means always selling the batch with the earliest expiry date, even if a newer delivery is easier to reach. On the shelf, this means putting short-dated stock at the front. At the counter, it means picking that batch when you bill.

FEFO is not the same as "first in, first out". Sometimes a newer delivery expires sooner than older stock, so the expiry date decides, not the arrival date.

Buy by the box, sell by the strip

Pharmacies often buy a box of 10 strips and sell single strips, or even single tablets. Your stock count needs to handle both, or your numbers will never match the shelf. Set up each product with the unit you buy in and the unit you sell in, so selling one strip reduces stock correctly.

A monthly expiry routine

Once a month, set aside an hour:

List everything expiring in the next 60 to 90 days, by batch.
Move short-dated stock to the front and tell your staff which batches to sell first.
Check supplier return terms for stock you cannot sell in time, and arrange returns early.
Remove expired stock from sale and record it, following NMRA requirements for disposal.
Adjust your orders. If a product keeps expiring, you are ordering too much of it.

Signs your expiry control needs work

You find expired strips on the shelf during a customer sale.
Your stock count rarely matches what is on the shelf.
You are writing off the same products every few months.
You cannot answer "what expires next month?" in a few minutes.

Next step

Start with the monthly routine above, even on paper. Once batch and expiry tracking is in a system, the 60-day list takes seconds instead of an afternoon.

Zyrace Cloud POS tracks batches and expiry dates, sells the batch that expires first at checkout, and lets you buy by the box and sell by the strip or tablet. Book a free demo to see it set up for a pharmacy.