Pharmacy Helper Duties: Drug Storage, Dispensing Support and Stock Records
Domain overview
This domain tests safe drug storage, stock rotation, dispensing support and the records that let a PHC account for every dose. The examiner looks for practical rules, not general pharmacy history.
Core rules and concepts
Store drugs in a dry, cool, dark place unless the label says otherwise; most tablets need below 25°C. Vaccines and insulin need a refrigerator at 2–8°C, monitored twice daily. Do not keep vaccines in the freezer compartment or the door. Freeze-sensitive products such as hepatitis B, DPT-containing vaccines and TT must never freeze; OPV is heat-sensitive and is handled according to its cold-chain label. Read the vaccine vial monitor: if the inner square is as dark as or darker than the outer circle, discard the vial.
Rotate stock by FEFO - first expiry, first out - not simple FIFO. Keep expired, damaged and recalled items in a clearly marked quarantine area, never on the active shelf. Narcotics and other controlled drugs go in a double-locked cupboard with a separate register and a running balance, signed by the person issuing and the person receiving. Record every receipt and issue in the stock register and bin card with date, batch number, expiry, quantity and balance. Verify physical stock against the register monthly and report discrepancies in writing.
Worked example
The shelf has 200 ORS packets of batch B expiring in December 2025 and 300 packets of batch A expiring in June 2026. Issue batch B first because it expires earlier. If monthly use is 120 packets, batch B lasts about 1.7 months, so both batches will be used before expiry; the reorder point is set so that stock does not fall below lead-time demand plus a safety buffer.
Traps that cost marks
Confusing FEFO with FIFO; leaving expired strips in the dispensing tray; storing vaccines in the refrigerator door; entering a receipt without the batch and expiry; and recording a balance that does not match the physical count.