Pharmacy Management, Inventory and Legislation/Ethics
Inventory control
Inventory is money on a shelf. Use par levels with minimum and maximum quantities, reorder points, and FEFO rotation-first-expired, first-out. Track expiry dates, recalls, and temperature excursions. Inventory turnover equals cost of goods sold divided by average inventory; low turnover signals overstock, while very high turnover may signal stockouts. Never accept patient-returned medication into stock and never return a dispensed product to inventory.
Legislation and ethics
Federal law-the Food and Drugs Act, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Cannabis Act, and privacy legislation-sets the national frame. Provincial pharmacy acts, regulations, and college standards govern practice, supervision, labelling, record retention, and controlled-drug handling. Know the difference between a narcotic, a controlled drug, and a targeted substance, and the record-keeping each requires. Ethical duties include confidentiality, informed consent, avoiding conflicts of interest, honest billing, and disclosing errors.
Worked example: recall
A manufacturer recalls a lot of amoxicillin suspension. Identify affected stock by lot number, quarantine it, check dispensing records for patients who received that lot, notify the pharmacist, and document the action. Do not simply remove it from the shelf and stop there.
Traps
- Assuming one province's rules apply nationally.
- Returning dispensed or patient-returned drugs to stock.
- Failing to document controlled-drug destruction with a witness.
- Stocking by FIFO rather than FEFO.
- Discussing inventory or patient information inappropriately.
Rule of thumb
When laws or standards conflict, follow the stricter requirement and the college standard; when unsure, ask the pharmacist or manager before acting.