What is FEFO, and why every pharmacy needs it
FEFO means first expiry, first out. Learn how it differs from FIFO, why it matters for medicines and how to make it happen without relying on memory.
FEFO stands for first expiry, first out. It means that you always sell the batch that expires first, whatever the order in which it arrived.
FEFO and FIFO are not the same
FIFO (first in, first out) sells the stock that came in first. That works for many goods, but medicines are different, because two batches of the same product can have very different expiry dates. A batch that arrived later can expire earlier. If you follow FIFO, you may sell the long-dated batch and keep the short-dated one until it expires.
For medicines, expiry is what counts, so FEFO is the correct rule.
An example
You hold two batches of the same medicine:
- Batch A117: 28 tablets, expiry March 2027, bought in July.
- Batch B2231: 50 tablets, expiry August 2027, bought in September.
A customer asks for 30 tablets. With FEFO, 28 come from A117 and 2 from B2231. You clear the batch that is closest to expiry first. With FIFO the answer is the same here, but if B2231 had arrived first, FIFO would take it first and leave A117 to expire.
Why it is hard to do by hand
- Shelves hold many batches, and staff pick whatever is at the front.
- Batch and expiry are printed in small letters on the strip.
- On a busy day, nobody checks.
How to make FEFO automatic
- Record the batch and expiry at purchase. FEFO is impossible without this data.
- Let billing choose the batch. The system should pick the unexpired batch with the nearest expiry and reduce its quantity.
- Block expired batches. An expired batch should never be sold.
- Show the batch on the bill. It helps you and your customer, and helps with returns later.
MedSync follows these four steps. A purchase creates batches, billing takes from the oldest valid batch, and expired stock cannot be billed.
What FEFO does for your shop
- Less stock is thrown away.
- Your customers get medicine with a longer remaining life.
- Your stock is easier to trust, because every sale reduces a specific batch.
It is a small rule with a large effect, and it costs nothing once the software does it for you.
See MedSync on your own medicines
Billing, batch and expiry, supplier prices and accountant reports in one place. Ask for a demo with your kind of stock and bills.
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