Pharmaceutical ward stock management for nurses

Abstract

Ward stock management entails a wide range of activities including interpretation of scripts, ordering and receiving stock and dealing with expired medicines. Most of these activities are done by the nursing staff in the ward. This reduces patient time. This article provides practical guidelines on dealing with pharmaceutical stock within a health care unit. Included is the ward stock management cycle, a check list for effective stock management, physical conditions of the medicine room, as well as physical conditions of pharmaceutical stock. If stock management guidelines are followed according to standard operating procedures (SOPs), an organised system may be in place for all the various aspects. This may create a system that functions both efficiently and effectively.