Medical inventory has a characteristic that most retail stock does not: a significant portion of it expires. That single fact changes how you should hold, rotate and reorder it.
Set Reorder Points, Not Reorder Dates
Ordering on a fixed calendar means you order the same quantity whether demand rose or fell. Setting a low stock threshold on each product and reordering when the threshold is crossed keeps holdings proportional to actual usage. Review thresholds quarterly against real consumption.
Track Batch and Expiry From Receipt
Record the batch number and expiry date at goods in, not when a problem arises. This makes first expired first out achievable, and it means a manufacturer recall becomes a five minute query rather than a full stock count.
Watch the Slow Movers
The products that quietly consume capital are rarely the fast movers. They are the specialist items ordered in a full case for a single patient. Report on items with no movement in ninety days and either run them down or stop reordering them.
Separate Storage Conditions
Cold chain and controlled items need their own location and their own check routine. Holding them in the general store makes both temperature compliance and stock accuracy harder than they need to be.
Reconcile Regularly
A short, frequent cycle count on high value and high turnover lines catches discrepancies while the cause is still traceable. A single annual full count almost never does.