Medicine wastage is one of the biggest hidden losses faced by pharmacies in Zambia. Expired medicines, overstocking, and poor inventory planning can silently reduce profits every month. Many pharmacy owners only realize these losses when it is already too late. This is where ERP software like Marg ERP plays a critical role.
Understanding Medicine Wastage in Pharmacies
Medicine wastage usually occurs due to:

1. Expiry of unsold medicines
2. Overstocking of slow-moving products
3. Lack of expiry alerts
4. Poor stock rotation
5. Manual inventory management
6. In a busy pharmacy, tracking expiry dates manually for hundreds of medicines is nearly impossible. Even experienced staff can miss critical details.

Financial Impact of Medicine Wastage
Expired medicines directly affect:

• Profit margins
• Cash flow
• Stock availability
• Business sustainability

Small and medium pharmacies often lose thousands of Kwacha every year due to avoidable expiry-related losses.
How ERP Software Solves This Problem
ERP software like Marg ERP automates inventory and expiry management.
1. Automated Expiry Tracking
Every medicine is stored with:
Batch number
Expiry date
Purchase details
The system automatically monitors expiry timelines.
2. Near-Expiry Alerts
Marg ERP generates alerts for medicines approaching expiry, allowing pharmacies to:
Offer discounts
Return stock to suppliers (if possible)
Adjust sales priorities
3. FEFO (First Expiry First Out)
ERP ensures medicines with the earliest expiry are sold first, reducing wastage.
4. Slow-Moving Stock Analysis
Reports help identify products that are not selling well, enabling better purchase planning.
How This Increases Profit
By reducing wastage, pharmacies can:

✔ Improve inventory turnover
✔ Reduce unnecessary purchases
✔ Increase usable stock
✔ Improve overall profitability
ERP software transforms inventory from a liability into a controlled asset.
👉 Lusaka Infortech Solutions Ltd helps pharmacies implement Marg ERP with full training and support.