Neeraj Sharma

1. Good Storage Practice
Reference: World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Report
Series (TRS), No. 908
TECHNICAL
TEAM

2. (5)GPP- STORAGE AND STOCK
MANAGEMENT
• The expiry periods of pharmaceutical
products have meaning only if the
products are stored under proper
conditions, otherwise, products are
likely to lose their potency before the
actual date of expiry.

3. Every community pharmacy, however
large or small, needs to store and manage
its medicine stocks
effectively. There must be systems to
ensure
• Secure storage.
• Clean and correct environmental
conditions during storage.
• Accurate and effective record keeping.
• Effective stock rotation and expiry
monitoring.
• Effective fire and theft prevention.
• Effective rodent/ pest control

4. 1. Avoid wet and
slippery floor.
2. Proper
instructions for
slippery floor to be in
place.

5. Sample Stock record card
Generic Name: XXX CAPS. Dosage form:
CAPSULES Code No: XXXX 2014
DATE SUPPLIER QTY
RECEIVED
QTY
ISSUED
BALANCE REMARKS SIGNATURE
10/12/1
4
Xxxx Ltd. 100BXS 20BXS 80 10//2015 MOHHAMAD
Consequences
can be VERY
Expensive!!

6. Sample Stock record card
1. Use liquid correction fluid.
2. No Pencil or eraser & Gel Pen.
3. Don't alter any record-this is a
criminal offense.

7. STORAGE-
The need for proper storage
• The storage of medicines and other
products is an important requirement of
Good Pharmacy Practice.
Appropriate storage of medicines is
essential –
Ø To ensure that the potency is maintained.
Ø To prevent deterioration/spoilage/
degradation.
Ø To ensure/maintain physical integrity.
Ø To ascertain that the quality and safety is
maintained throughout their shelf life.

8. Storage requirements need to be
considered on 2 aspects :
• A) Integrity Of Medicines: Medicines
Should Be Stored In Such A Way So As To
Maintain Their Integrity And Potency.
• Maintain the right temperature
required.
• Protect from excessive humidity.
• Keep medicines away from direct
sunlight.
• Protect from pests and rodents.

9. B) Physical location
• Should be easy to locate.
• Accessible.
• Orderly/systematically placed.

10. • Storage according to
temperatures is a must, no
matter which pattern of
storage is followed. Also,
within a particular storage
area, segregated storage
may be maintained. In a
refrigerator, for example,
medicines may be stored in
trays, racks and the freezer,
according to the
temperature required.

11. Whatever pattern of storage is selected,
all the personnel should ensure that
• The stocks are stored in an orderly
manner.
• The medicines are kept back in the same
place from where they were removed.
• All medicines are arranged neatly once
in a while.
• The personnel should be careful while
storing the medicines.
• They should not throw the medicines
haphazardly.

12. DONT’S

13. • Direct storage of cartons on the floor
should be avoided because, besides being
an unhealthy practice, the contents may
also be damaged by moisture.
DO NOT STORE
MEDICINE
CARTONS ON THE
FLOOR !!

14. DON’T’S

15. • Store medicines preferably in shelves with
glass shutters for visibility.
• Closed shelves further prevent dust from
going in, especially where most pharmacies
are located along busy roads.
• Some medicines have to be refrigerated or
stored in a cool or cold place. Having a
refrigerator or two(as per the need of the
pharmacy) is essential to store such
medicines at temperatures mentioned on the
label

16. Refrigeration
• All cold chain equipment should meet
required standards.
• Vaccines should not be stored on
refrigerator door shelves as they are
exposed to warmer temperatures each
time the door is opened. Vaccines
should always be stored on the middle
shelves of the refrigerator.
• Consumable products like juices,
energy drinks, etc., should not be
stored along with medicines in
refrigerators. If required, they may be
kept in a separate refrigerator.

17. Temperature/climatic
conditions:
• An air-conditioned environment where temperature
can be controlled is recommended for pharmacies.
• Air conditioning offers the option of setting the
temperature as per requirements.
• It is ideal to have an air conditioner to maintain the
temperature below 25 ° C, as most medicines
• require storage below this temperature. Secondly, this
temperature is pleasing to both the staff and the
• visiting customers, too.
• In the absence of an air conditioner, circulating fans
may be used.

18. “YOU CAN BE A THERMOMETER.
If you feel hot, your medicines probably
too feel the same.”

19. Humidity or moisture control
• Moisture or humidity can
adversely affect the stability of
medicines such as tablets,
capsules, powders.
• Gelatin capsules become soft, and
swell on absorption of moisture
• The presence of moisture may
encourage the growth of
microbes. It is therefore
essential to control humidity.

20. • Calibrated thermometers and
manometers can be used to detect
temperature and humidity in the
pharmacy.
• Temperature charts should be available
for ready reference.
ABC PHARMACY TEMPERATURE CHART
Area: DISPENSING AREA
DATE TIME TEMP in ᵒC MONITORED BY

21. Storage conditions
STORAGE CONDITIONS SPECIFICATIONS
Cold Any temperature not
exceeding 8º C (Between 2º
C and 8º C)
Cool Any temperature between
8º C and 25º C
Room temperature Temperature prevailing in a
working area
Warm Any temperature between
30º C and 40º C
Excessive heat Any temperature above 40º
C

22. STABILITY ISSUES:
FACTORS
LIKELY EFFECTS ON
DRUG
Exposure to light Increased oxidation or
photochemical degradation
Exposure to air. Increased oxidation
Loss of vapour. Loss of water or volatile
solvents
Access to microorganisms Increased contamination,
growth, spoilage and
possible harmful effects
Access to moisture. Hydrolysis, damage to
powder, tablets and
capsules

23. (6) STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURES
- It is important that the Pharmacy should
write out its own SOPs for the different
activities in the pharmacy
A SOP SPECIFIES IN WRITING:
- WHAT should be done
- WHEN it should be done
- WHERE it should be done
- By WHOM it should be done
- SOPs is a useful tool for Training of a new
staff/recruit

24. Email:
neerajshri18@yahoo.com
WhatsApp: +919825671149