Expiry and Stock Optimisation for a Community Pharmacy Group

Introduction

A small pharmacy group wanted to reduce expired stock while protecting availability for regular customers.

The Challenge

Expired items (especially seasonal products) created avoidable write-offs. Stockouts of high-demand items drove customers elsewhere. Managers needed a clearer, faster approach that did not require advanced analytics skills.

Solution & Implementation

We introduced a central inventory view across locations and a simple AI-supported reorder suggestion that considered recent demand, seasonality, and known lead times. The system highlighted “sell-first” items approaching expiry and recommended location transfers when one branch was overstocked. We also added exception-based routines: managers saw a short list each morning (top 20 actions) rather than trawling through reports.

Impact

• Expired stock write-offs reduced by ~30%

• Stockouts reduced by ~22% on high-turn items

• Reordering time reduced by ~40% (less manual checking)

• Revenue protected through better availability (estimated +3–5% uplift)

• Payback: ~4–7 months, driven by reduced write-offs and protected sales