J U N E 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 3
PERPETUAL INVENTORY
It Pays to Know When Drug Are Set to Expire
T
here are med-
ications you
always need to
have available and
sometimes what is on
the shelf can expire
before being used. So I
record the perpetual
inventory medications
by expiration date. I
created an Excel list of
all of the medications
in the center going
down the page with the 12 months across the top. When a medication
is received, I only need to list the expiration year. So, for example,
Tylenol expires January 2020, and so I'll put "2020" under January. I
have my expiration Excel list in my medication binder, and each
month all I need to do is run my eye down the list for that month and
sign off. This way you are not having to look at each drug to see when
it expires. Also, I see what is about to expire in the coming month, and
even if it's not low, I'll go ahead and order it. Expired meds go in the
Pharma-bins supplied by Steriscycle. Expired narcotics get sent to
MedFlats. I have passed 3 accreditations with flying colors.
Sara Shyr, RN
K and B Surgical Center
Beverly Hills, Calif.
sshyr@kandbsurgicalcenter.com
• USE-BY DATE A simple chart helps us ensure none of our medications are
expired.
