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The short answer
Good pharmacy stock control rests on four habits: dispense the earliest-expiring stock first, check expiry dates on a fixed schedule, keep cold-chain items within the manufacturer's range and record fridge temperatures, and set a reorder point for each fast-moving line. Buy from registered distributors and keep batch records so you can respond to a recall.
Why stock control matters more in a pharmacy
In a pharmacy, poor stock control costs more than money. Expired medicines cannot be sold and must be disposed of properly. A stock-out can send a patient away without treatment. A fridge failure can ruin insulin or vaccines without anyone noticing. And when a batch is recalled, you need to know whether you sold it and to whom. Treat stock as part of patient safety, not just as working capital.
Manage expiry dates
First expiry, first out
Arrange shelves so the stock that expires soonest is at the front and is dispensed first. New deliveries go behind. This is often called FEFO, first expiry first out, and it matters more than the order in which stock arrived.
A regular expiry check
- Each month, check every shelf for items expiring in the next three to six months.
- Mark short-dated stock with a coloured sticker.
- Move it to the front, use it first, or ask your distributor whether they accept returns of short-dated stock.
- Remove expired stock immediately to a locked, labelled quarantine area so it cannot be dispensed by mistake.
- Dispose of expired medicines through the approved route; do not sell or donate them.
Keep the cold chain intact
Insulin, some vaccines and certain other medicines must be refrigerated. NAFDAC's Good Cold Chain Management Guidelines set storage at 2°C to 8°C unless the manufacturer specifies otherwise, require temperature readings to be recorded at least twice a day and signed, and say vaccine refrigerators should not hold food or drink. Practical steps for a community pharmacy:
- Use a dedicated pharmaceutical or medical fridge, not a household drinks fridge, where you can.
- Keep a thermometer inside and a temperature chart on the door, filled in morning and evening.
- Plan for power cuts: know how long the fridge holds temperature and keep backup power for it.
- Do not overfill; air must circulate. Keep products away from the back wall and freezer section.
- If the temperature has gone out of range, quarantine the stock and check with the manufacturer or distributor before selling it.
Set reorder points
For each fast-moving line, a reorder point tells you when to buy before you run out. You need two numbers: how many units you sell on an average day, and how many days your distributor takes to deliver.
- Reorder point
- (Average daily sales × delivery days) + safety stock.
- Safety stock
- Extra units to cover busy days or late deliveries, often a few days' sales.
- Par level
- The amount you top up to when you order.
Worked example
Example only. A pharmacy sells 6 packs a day of a common blood pressure medicine, and its distributor delivers in 3 days. With 4 days of safety stock, the reorder point is (6 × 3) + (6 × 4) = 42 packs. When stock falls to 42, it orders enough to return to a par level of 90 packs. At ₦4,500 a pack, this ties up at most ₦405,000, much less than buying a large batch that might expire.
Buy from the right sources and keep records
Fake and substandard medicines are a known problem. Buy only from registered distributors and manufacturers, check packaging and NAFDAC registration numbers on receipt, and keep every invoice. Record the batch number and expiry date of each delivery. NAFDAC's cold chain guidelines expect distribution records to include batch numbers, manufacture and expiry dates for recall purposes; keeping the same discipline for all your stock lets you act quickly if a product is recalled.
Cut slow movers
Every pack that sits on a shelf for months is cash you cannot use and an expiry risk. Once a quarter, list every line that has sold fewer than a handful of units in the period. For each one, decide whether to keep a minimum of one or two packs (because a regular depends on it), switch to a faster-selling equivalent, or stop stocking it and order on request. A smaller, well-chosen range that is always in stock serves customers better than a wide range with gaps and expired packs. Ask your distributor how quickly they can deliver order-on-request items, so you can promise customers a collection date with confidence.
Count, compare, correct
Count high-value and controlled items weekly and the full stock at least quarterly. Compare the count with your sales and purchase records. A gap points to theft, dispensing errors or unrecorded sales. Paying suppliers by transfer rather than cash gives you a reliable purchase record; see payment reconciliation.
Where Pryme fits
Pharmacies are a supported sector in Spaces, Pryme's merchant network. Customers with Loans on Spaces, lent by Solid Allianze Microfinance Bank, can spend that credit only with Spaces merchants, which brings steadier demand to pharmacies in the network and makes reorder planning easier. Joining starts with a Pryme Business Account, whose Finance agent prepares purchase and sales summaries for a person to review. For fees and settlement terms, ask Pryme. See also winning regular customers.
Questions people ask
How should a pharmacy store insulin in Nigeria?
In a refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C unless the manufacturer says otherwise, with temperatures recorded at least twice a day, in line with NAFDAC cold chain guidance.
What should I do with expired drugs in my pharmacy?
Remove them at once to a locked, labelled quarantine area so they cannot be dispensed, and dispose of them through the approved route. Do not sell or donate them.
How do I know when to reorder medicines?
Set a reorder point for each fast-moving line: average daily sales multiplied by delivery days, plus a few days of safety stock.
How can a pharmacy avoid buying fake drugs?
Buy only from registered distributors and manufacturers, check packaging and NAFDAC registration numbers on delivery, and keep invoices and batch records.
Sources
- NAFDAC Good Cold Chain Management Guidelines 2019 · accessed Oct 2026
- PCN: Guidelines for registration of pharmacists and premises · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.