Quick answer
What to do
For every delivery, record the item, supplier reference, lot number, expiration date, quantity, unit, and storage location. Then create a dated entry each time staff receive, use, transfer, return, waste, or correct stock. Compare physical counts with those entries and link them to the relevant clinic transaction when appropriate. The required fields, handling, retention, and reports depend on the product and jurisdiction.
Do not confuse an item with a lot
The catalog item describes what the clinic stocks: name, form, strength, package or dispensing unit, reorder settings, and active status. A lot describes one received batch with a lot number, expiration, received quantity, remaining quantity, supplier reference, received date, and location.
Do not overwrite the item with the newest lot number. Multiple lots can be on hand at once, and the same lot can exist in more than one location. Define units carefully so a case, box, vial, tablet, and billable unit are not silently treated as interchangeable.
Record what arrived, even when it differs from the order
At receiving, compare the shipment with the order and packing information. Record the actual item, lot number exactly as printed, expiration, quantity, unit, location, and any discrepancy or damage. Split rows when one shipment contains more than one lot or expiration date.
Use a review state for unreadable labels, unexpected substitutions, unit mismatches, and quantity differences. Do not make staff invent a lot number just to complete the screen. The exception needs an owner and a resolution trail.
Record every change when it happens
A traceable clinic ledger can record the quantity before and after each receipt, use, dispense, transfer, return, waste event, or adjustment, along with time, actor, reason, lot, and related clinic record when appropriate. Backdating or editing a balance without a movement makes later investigation difficult.
Connect clinical use and checkout to the inventory record so staff do not have to remember a separate update at the end of the day. If staff choose a lot, show which lots are eligible and follow the clinic’s rotation rule. Never substitute another lot without alerting the staff member recording the use.
Use cycle counts to explain differences
Count a manageable set of items by location and lot, preferably without showing the expected quantity to the counter. Recount meaningful differences before adjustment. Record the reason category and a note when the variance is understood, such as unit conversion, unrecorded waste, receiving error, transfer, or selection of the wrong lot.
Post an adjustment as a new dated entry instead of deleting earlier history. Review repeated differences by item, location, task, and unit. Frequent “count correction” entries may mean staff are missing a stock update or using inconsistent units.
Assign someone to review expiring stock
Define clinic-specific review windows by item category and lead time. Show lot, quantity, location, expiration date, and responsible staff member in the worklist. Separate review needed, action planned, transferred, returned, used, quarantined, and disposed states according to clinic procedure.
Do not treat an alert as completed just because someone opened it. Record the action and resulting movement. Product handling, recall response, dispensing, and disposal requirements vary; the clinic should verify applicable manufacturer guidance and professional or legal obligations rather than treating software alerts as compliance advice.
Check whether staff can trace a lot in both directions
Choose a lot and ask when it arrived, where it was stored, how much remains, which entries changed the quantity, who recorded them, and which clinic transactions are linked. Then start from a transaction and identify the lot used. Write down gaps instead of guessing.
Run the exercise with staff who receive stock, use it, check clients out, and manage inventory. It tests the clinic’s process but cannot cover every use or external requirement. Add any missing field, staff step, or exception and run the test again.
Sources and scope
How this guide was prepared
This guide does not replace rules for prescribing, dispensing, recalls, controlled substances, or waste disposal. Follow current labels, manufacturer or distributor instructions, FDA notices, and federal and local requirements. Lot tracking can help an investigation, but it cannot prove compliance or show that staff captured every affected item. The source pages below were checked July 12, 2026.
- 1Animal and Veterinary Recalls and WithdrawalsU.S. Food and Drug Administration / checked July 12, 2026
- 2Veterinary Medication ErrorsU.S. Food and Drug Administration / checked July 12, 2026
- 3Waste Management in Veterinary MedicineAmerican Veterinary Medical Association / checked July 12, 2026