Expiration Date Management and FEFO Rotation

FEFO Rotation

First Expiring, First Out (FEFO) is the standard inventory rotation method in pharmacy. Medications with the earliest expiration dates are placed at the front of the shelf and dispensed first. This minimizes waste from expired products and ensures patients receive medications with adequate remaining shelf life.

When stocking shelves, pharmacy technicians must check expiration dates on every item and arrange stock so that shorter-dated products are dispensed first. New stock goes behind existing stock with later expiration dates.

Monthly Expiration Checks

Pharmacies typically perform monthly checks to identify medications expiring within the next 3-6 months. These medications may be returned to the wholesaler for credit, transferred to another location with higher usage, or flagged for priority dispensing.

Expired medications must be immediately pulled from inventory and segregated in a designated area until they can be properly returned or destroyed. Dispensing an expired medication is a serious error.

Study and Practice

Inventory rotation and expiration management are practical PTCB topics. Review with flashcards and practice with mini exams.