You're halfway through the quarterly count when it turns up: a box of amoxicillin at the back of the shelf, expired last month. In front of it sat a newer batch, which sold first because it was easier to reach. That box is now a write-off, and it probably isn't the only one.
Every pharmacy owner has had that moment. A clothing shop can mark last season's stock down. You can't sell an expired antibiotic at any price.
In short: a pharmacy POS has to do more than ring up sales. It should record every medicine with its batch number and expiry date, tell staff which batch to sell first, keep prescription and over-the-counter sales on separate paths, record who dispensed each controlled medicine and when, and help you send near-expiry stock back to suppliers while it still counts. EliteTeQ does all of that for pharmacies, chemists and medical supply stores in Hong Kong, from USD 499 per year, with an offline mode that keeps the counter running when the network drops.
Why a basic till isn't enough
Medicine stock has problems ordinary retail doesn't:
- Expiry dates that matter legally, not just commercially.
- Batch numbers you may need to trace if there's a recall or a query.
- Small, valuable packs that are easy to miscount and easy to pocket.
- A regulator who can ask to see your dispensing records at any time.
A ledger and a calculator-style till can't keep up. You end up finding expired boxes during the stock-take, when the only option left is the bin.
Batch and expiry, from the moment it's received
When a wholesaler delivers, each medicine is received in EliteTeQ with its batch number and expiry date. From then on the system knows which batch is which.
Staff are told which batch to sell first, oldest expiry first (pharmacists call it FEFO, first expiry, first out). A near-expiry report shows what's getting close, so each morning you can bring those batches forward or set them aside for the supplier.
That second part matters more than people expect. Some suppliers will take near-expiry stock back against your balance if it reaches them in time. EliteTeQ records the purchase return against the supplier, so the value comes off what you owe instead of going into the bin. Whatever does expire is written off with a reason, so you can see what expiry is really costing you and watch that number come down.
The right pack, from the right person
Prescription and over-the-counter items run on separate, clearly flagged workflows. When a prescription-only medicine is added to a sale, it's flagged for the pharmacist to confirm, and the sale is recorded against them.
Each role decides what that person can do. Your pharmacists, assistants and cashiers each see and dispense only what their role allows, and only you see costs and margins. Every sale, price change and stock adjustment is tied to a login and a time.
In most pharmacies the real risk isn't the front door. It's a discount that shouldn't have happened, or a void that hides a missing pack. An audit log doesn't make those impossible, but it makes them visible.
Records ready before the inspector asks
Every controlled-medicine sale is recorded as you dispense it, with the staff member, the time and the batch. There's no separate paper register to keep up at the end of a long day.
When an inspector, or your own accountant, asks for records, you pull a dispensing report by batch rather than spending a weekend with a box of receipts. The product movement report shows the full story of every batch: received, transferred, dispensed, returned or written off.
Never out of the one medicine they came for
Running out of a common medicine costs you the sale and often the customer, who goes to the chemist across the road and may not come back. Low-stock alerts warn you before your fast movers run dry.
If you have more than one branch, stock moves between them in a few taps and is confirmed on arrival. A quiet branch or the store room can top up the busy one before the patient has to be turned away.
What EliteTeQ doesn't do
It's worth being clear. EliteTeQ is a stock, sales and records system. It doesn't check for drug interactions, keep patient medical records or process insurance claims. Clinical judgement stays with your pharmacist, and any insurance or medical-records system you use stays where it is.
Before and after
| Register and basic till | EliteTeQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Expiry | Found when the box is opened | Batch and expiry on every medicine |
| Which batch sells | Whatever's at the front | Oldest expiry first |
| Prescription vs OTC | Sold the same way | Separate, flagged workflows |
| Controlled medicines | A paper register | Records built as you dispense |
| Near-expiry stock | Binned | Returned to suppliers in time |
| Profit | A guess | Margin by product and branch |
Day to day, it looks like this
Before opening, the near-expiry list shows which batches to bring forward. Mid-morning a wholesaler delivers, and each line goes in with its batch and expiry. A prescription comes in at lunchtime; the item is flagged, the pharmacist confirms it and the sale is recorded against them. At closing, you check the day's sales, margin and low-stock list from your phone.
Payments are recorded by method: EliteTeQ records Octopus, card and cash against each sale, and keeps sales records ready for IRD. In Kenya, M-Pesa is integrated directly.
Next step
If expired stock, missing packs or audit-season paperwork are costing you sleep, have a look at the [pharmacy features](/industries/pharmacies/), then book a free demo. We'll set it up with your own medicines and walk through batches, expiry and roles with you, or you can talk to a real person on WhatsApp through the [contact page](/contact/).
Let's discuss how EliteTeQ POS can help you achieve the results you just read about.