Expiry Management in Healthcare supply - from knowing to doing
Best practices in expiry management are no secret. When the topic comes up, everyone talks about automation, better forecasting, real-time visibility into inventory, system alerts, cycle counts, FEFO, and tracking expiration dates.
And yet — expired items still pile up, inventory waste still hurts budgets, and staff still scramble at the last minute.
Why?
Because knowing the best practices isn’t enough. Real best practice is having at least one working inventory management process — and doing it consistently.
This article focuses on what actually works: the day-to-day inventory behaviors, procedures, and structure you need to reduce expired stock and build a sustainable inventory process — wherever you sit in the supply chain.
1. Know your shelf life — and group inventory accordingly
Effective expiration date management starts with clarity. Not all medical inventory has the same shelf life or risk — and it shouldn’t be managed the same way.
Group your inventory by shelf life risk, and define appropriate alert windows and action plans for each group
For each inventory group, set expiration date alerts and actions. Don’t wait until the product is 30 days from its expiration date to react.
2. Enforce FEFO (First Expired, First Out) in inventory processes
📦 FEFO is the backbone of inventory expiry control. It must be embedded in every inventory touchpoint:
- At the warehouse (picking and packing inventory)
- At the distributor level (planning inventory shipments)
- In hospitals and clinics (restocking and using inventory)
- Even during inventory transfers or donations
If expired stock appears, either:
- FEFO wasn’t followed, or
- The expiration dates in the inventory system were wrong.
To prevent expired inventory, make FEFO real through physical labeling, bin locations, scanning, and inventory system rules.
3. Track expiration dates in three dimensions
Expiration date tracking isn’t just having dates in your inventory system. Proper expiration date tracking means:
✅ You know expiration dates of every inventory batch and lot
✅ Expiration dates in the inventory system match what’s physically on the shelf
✅ You act on these expiration dates — via alerts, FEFO, and documented inventory procedures
If your system says the item expires in 2026 but it's already expired on the shelf, you're tracking assumptions — not dates.
4. Define clear action plans for every expiration date window
Knowing inventory expiration dates is only useful if it leads to action.
For each inventory shelf life group, define what to do when products approach expiration date:
A 30-day expired stock reduction campaign only works if teams know the inventory action plan.
5. Collaborate with suppliers — Get inventory with better expiration dates
Good expiration date management starts before inventory arrives.
- Define a minimum shelf life for all delivered inventory (e.g., at least 75% remaining until expiration)
- Check expiration dates on every receipt
- Reject or pre-approve short-dated inventory only if justified
- Track suppliers who consistently ship inventory close to expiration
Pushing expiry risk upstream keeps your inventory fresher and reduces expired write-offs.
6. Measure what’s expired — and why
Simply removing expired items isn’t enough. Analyze why inventory expired. Track:
- % of expired inventory vs. total inventory
- Expired write-off trends over time
- Top items and inventory categories nearing expiration
- Expiration date accuracy issues (system vs. physical stock)
- Root causes of expired inventory
Common expired inventory reasons:
- Overordering due to poor forecasting
- FEFO process failures
- Wrong expiration date data in the system
- Accepting short-dated inventory
- Stock forgotten in remote locations
Document every expired inventory event and label the cause.
7. Define what expiration date management really means
Real expiration date management means:
- You know all expiration dates across your inventory
- Inventory system expiration dates match physical stock
- FEFO is enforced throughout inventory processes
Every policy, alert, and audit should focus on these three checkpoints.
8. Pick one practice — and do it consistently
You don’t need a complex system to control expired stock. Start with:
- Weekly expired inventory reports
- Monthly cycle counts for short-dated inventory
- Expiration date checks at receiving
- Visible labeling of expiration date windows on inventory
- Staff training on FEFO and expiration date handling
Inventory compliance depends on daily habits, not just policies.
💡 Use Ventory to make expiration date management practical
Ventory helps healthcare providers, distributors, and supply chain teams manage inventory expiration dates — turning policies into action without complexity.
With Ventory you get:
- 🧾 Real-time tracking of expiration dates by batch and location
- 📦 FEFO-enforced inventory in picking, usage, and transfers
- 🔔 Expiry alerts before items become expired
- 📊 Dashboards for expired inventory trends and root causes
- ✅ Automatic shelf life checks at receiving to prevent expired inventory
- 🔍 Validation of system vs. physical expiration dates to catch errors
Ventory doesn’t just show expiry — it helps you manage it.
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