How to reorder medicines without running out (or overbuying)

The two ways ordering goes wrong

Most medical stores order from memory or from what the distributor's salesman suggests. This fails in two ways. Either a customer asks for a medicine and you have none - a lost sale and often a lost customer - or you buy too much of a slow item and it sits until it expires.

Good ordering is not complicated. It needs a list of what is running low, a list of what is not moving, and one order per company.

Step 1: Write down items as they run out

The best moment to note a shortage is when it happens: when you take the last strip from the shelf, or when a customer asks and you do not have it. Keep a notebook, a phone note, or use the free company-wise order list tool where you type the items that are finishing and it makes a separate order for each company or distributor.

Do not trust memory at the end of the week. By then half the shortages are forgotten.

Step 2: Decide how much to order

For each item ask three questions:

1. How many do I sell in a normal week?
2. How many days does the distributor take to deliver?
3. Do I already have a pending order?

A rough rule: order enough to cover the delivery days plus a small safety stock. For items that sell daily, keep a little more. For items that sell once a month, order one pack at a time even if the distributor offers a bonus on a bigger quantity - unless the bonus clearly beats the risk of expiry. Use the net rate calculator to check whether a bonus deal is really better, and read how to calculate the real profit on a medicine.

Step 3: Check slow stock before you order more

Before sending the list, look at what has not sold. If an item has not moved in 30 days, do not reorder it, and think about returning it to the company while the return window is open. Our guide on medicine expiry management explains how to track this. A stock count every few weeks also shows if your computer figures are right, so your reorder list is based on real numbers.

Step 4: One order per company

Distributors and company representatives want one clean list each. Sort your items by company and send each list separately. A WhatsApp message is fine for most shops: item name, strength or pack size, and quantity. The order list tool above can send each company's list by WhatsApp with one click.

Keep a copy of what you ordered. When the delivery arrives, check it against the order: wrong item, short quantity, wrong batch or near expiry are all easier to fix on the same day.

What to do when a company is out of stock

Sometimes the distributor cannot supply an item. Do not just wait. Note the item as pending, ask the customer whether a different brand with the same salt is acceptable (only the customer or doctor can decide this, and never change a prescription yourself), and ask a second distributor for the rate. Remember to compare the net rate, not just the printed price, before you switch. Over time, keep a short list of the two distributors you trust for each major company so a shortage never leaves you without options.

Step 5: Make it a weekly habit

• Pick a fixed day for ordering, such as before the busiest week of the month.
• Write shortages as they happen through the week.
• On order day: check slow stock, decide quantities, send one list per company.
• When goods arrive: check against the order, then enter the purchase straight away with batch and expiry.

A fixed routine is better than a perfect one. After a month you will know which items need a bigger buffer and which to stop buying.

How Alpha helps

Alpha's stock screens include reorder suggestions grouped by company, purchase orders, and a list of items that have not sold for 30 days. Each purchase records batch, expiry, pack size, bonus quantity and trade discount, and there are expiring-soon and expired lists and return-due reminders with per-company return windows. If you have more than one branch, each has its own stock, with transfers between them. Setup help is available over a screen share and you can import your medicine list from Excel. See Alpha for pharmacies or the pricing - plans start at Rs 2,500 a month and there is a 7-day free trial.