Receiving, Inspecting and Stocking Medicines
8 minute read
What you will learn
- List the steps for receiving and stocking medicines
- Check a delivery against the order and the packing note
- Describe the checks for quantity, quality, damage and expiry
- Complete a damage report
- Update a ledger with the quantity received
- Stack medicines correctly on shelves or in refrigerators
Key points
- The steps are: receive the medicines, keep a record of what is received, update the ledger for each item, and stack the medicines in the right place.
- Check every delivery against the order and the packing note before accepting it.
- Check quantity, quality, damage and expiry dates.
- Anything damaged, short or wrong must be recorded on a report and reported at once.
- Cold-chain items must go straight into the refrigerator.
- New quantity received is added to the quantity already in stock in the ledger.
- Stack so that older stock (earlier expiry) is used first.
The steps
The curriculum lists four steps for stocking medicines:
- Receive the medicines.
- Keep a record of the medicines received.
- Complete a ledger form for each item, adding the new quantity received to the quantity already in stock.
- Stack the medicines on shelves, or in refrigerators, as suitable for each.
Step 1: Receiving a delivery
Receive deliveries in a clean, secure area, at a set time when possible, with the person in charge of the store present. Have the order (such as the local purchase order, LPO) and the packing note or delivery note ready.
What to check
| Check | How |
|---|---|
| Correct supplier and delivery | The name and address on the delivery agree with the order |
| Quantity | Count the cartons, then the units in a sample or in all of them. Compare with the packing note and the order |
| Quality | The right medicine, form and strength. Look at the labels and the colour, and look for broken seals, damaged tablets or leaking bottles |
| Damage | Look at each carton for crushing, wetness or tears |
| Expiry | Check the expiry date and the batch number. Reject or note anything with too short a remaining shelf life, as the policy says |
| Storage needs | Identify items that must be kept cold or locked up |
If something is short, wrong or damaged, write it on the delivery note before signing, and make a damage report.
A damage report shows
- the date and the supplier;
- the item, batch number and quantity damaged;
- the kind of damage and how it was found;
- the action taken, such as returned, replaced or written off;
- the names and signatures of the people involved.
Step 2: Recording the receipt
Enter the delivery in the receipt records: the date, the supplier, the item, the batch number, the expiry date, the quantity and the receipt voucher number. Keep the delivery note, and file it with the order.
Step 3: The ledger
Each medicine has a ledger entry (and often a bin or tally card on the shelf). The new quantity is added to what was already in stock.
new balance = previous balance + quantity received
Example. The ledger shows 450 tablets. A delivery of 300 arrives.
- New balance = 450 + 300 = 750 tablets
After you stack the stock, count it and make sure the shelf agrees with the ledger.
Step 4: Stacking
- Cold-chain items such as vaccines and insulin go straight into the refrigerator.
- Dangerous and controlled drugs go into the locked cupboard at once, and are entered in their own register.
- Ordinary stock goes on shelves or pallets, off the floor and away from the wall, so air can pass and cleaning is easy.
- Put new stock behind or beneath older stock, so that stock with the earliest expiry date is used first. See the lesson on storage and FEFO.
- Label shelves clearly, and keep each medicine in its own place.
- Keep large and small packs in order, with the labels facing outward.
Handling rules
- Never accept a delivery you have not checked.
- Never leave a delivery unattended on the floor, outside or in the sun.
- Make sure only authorised people are in the store during a delivery.
- Open cartons carefully, and keep damaged packs separate and labelled until they are dealt with.
Exam focus
- List the four steps for stocking medicines, in order.
- Describe what is checked when a delivery arrives.
- Calculate a new ledger balance after receipt.
- Common mistake: signing for a delivery before checking it.
Quick check
Test yourself before you move on. Pick an answer to see the explanation.
1.What should be done before signing for a delivery?
2.A carton arrives with a damaged corner, and some bottles are broken. What should be done?
3.The ledger for a medicine shows 450 tablets. A delivery of 300 is received. What is the new balance?
4.Vaccines arrive in a cool box. They should be:
5.Which expiry date should be treated with the most care on delivery?