Checklist template

Return-to-stock and reverse distribution controls for pharmacies

A ready-to-use checklist with 100 items in 6 sections, covering Will-call returns, Reversals, Reverse distribution, Destruction, Records, Variances. Use it as-is in InspectLoop, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 100 Items
  • 77 Yes / No checks
  • 5 Scored ratings
  • 102 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Will-call returns 19 items

  1. A will-call aging report is run on the schedule set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Date the will-call aging report was last run Date
  3. Oldest fill date found in the will-call bins during the visit (days since filled) Number
  4. No bag in will-call is older than the return-to-stock limit set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Patients are contacted by phone, text or app before a prescription is returned to stock Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Each bag pulled from will-call is scanned out, so that its bin location is cleared in the system Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Return-to-stock work is done by an employee other than the one who rings sales at the pickup register Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Return-to-stock product stays in its dispensing vial, with the patient's name blacked out or the patient label removed Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Each return-to-stock vial is labeled with drug name, strength, quantity and the original stock expiry date or the beyond-use date allowed Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The count in each return-to-stock vial sampled matched the quantity written on its label Yes / No 1 pt
  11. No return-to-stock vial was found in a drawer, tote or personal work area away from the dispensing shelves Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Unit-of-use packs (inhalers, creams, insulin) are returned to stock only with the patient label fully removed Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Refrigerated prescriptions are returned to stock only if they stayed in the will-call refrigerator Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Controlled substance prescriptions returned to stock are counted by a pharmacist Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Returned controlled substances are added to the perpetual inventory on the same day Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Bags pulled from will-call are returned to stock on the same day, not left in a tote overnight Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Return-to-stock vials sampled on the shelves Number
  18. Sampled vials with a missing or incomplete label Number
  19. Will-call clean-out Rating
    • On schedule, with nothing past the limit 5 pts
    • A few bags past the limit 3 pts
    • Many bags past the limit 1 pt

2. Reversals 15 items

  1. Each reversal is made under the individual login of the employee who processed the return Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Each returned prescription shows a reversed claim in the dispensing system, on the sample checked Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Returned prescriptions sampled for a reversed claim Number
  4. Sampled prescriptions returned to stock with the claim still paid Number
  5. Reversals are completed within the window allowed by the plans Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Co-pays already paid by the patient are refunded through the register when a prescription is reversed Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The on-hand quantity increases automatically or is adjusted when the reversal is done Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The reversal report for the last 30 days shows no reversal followed by a refill for the same patient on the same day without a note Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Reversals made later than the number of days set by company policy are reviewed by the pharmacy manager Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Reversals of prescriptions marked as sold require a pharmacist's approval Yes / No 1 pt
  11. No prescription was found reversed in the system while its bag was still in will-call Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Partial fills returned to stock have the balance owing canceled Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Prescriptions on automatic refill that are returned unclaimed twice are removed from the program Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Manufacturer co-pay card claims are reversed together with the primary claim Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Reversal of claims on returned prescriptions Rating
    • Every return reversed in time 5 pts
    • A few late reversals 3 pts
    • Product returned with claims left paid 1 pt

3. Reverse distribution 18 items

  1. Expired and unsaleable prescription stock is pulled from the shelves monthly Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Stock expiring within the lead time set by company policy is pulled or stickered Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Expired stock bottles found on the dispensing shelves during the visit Number
  4. Pulled product is kept in a marked quarantine tote or shelf, away from saleable stock Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The quarantine area for controlled substances is inside the locked cabinet or safe Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The reverse distributor used is the one approved by the company Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Date of the last reverse distributor pickup or shipment Date
  8. Each shipment has an inventory listing drug, strength, quantity and lot or expiry Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The shipment inventory is prepared by one employee and checked by a second Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Boxes are sealed and their count is recorded before the carrier collects them Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The carrier's tracking number or the pickup receipt is kept with the inventory Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Controlled substances sent for return are documented on the transfer records required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Controlled substances are removed from the perpetual inventory on the day they leave the store Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Recalled product is returned through the recall instructions, not mixed with expired returns Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Product eligible for wholesaler return for credit is sent to the wholesaler rather than to the reverse distributor Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Partial bottles are included in returns where the manufacturer's policy gives credit Yes / No 1 pt
  17. The quarantine tote holds no product still within its date and saleable Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Preparation of reverse distribution shipments Rating
    • Inventoried, double-checked and sealed 5 pts
    • Inventoried by one person only 3 pts
    • Shipped without an inventory 1 pt

4. Destruction 16 items

  1. Product that cannot be returned is destroyed through the approved waste vendor, not in the store trash or drain Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Controlled substances are destroyed only by a method allowed by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Destruction of controlled substances is witnessed by a second authorized person Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The destruction record lists drug, strength, quantity, date and both signatures Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Patient-returned medications are kept separate from the pharmacy's own stock awaiting destruction Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Patient-returned medications are never returned to stock Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Damaged or contaminated product from a spill or broken bottle is recorded before disposal Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Dropped tablets and counting-tray waste of controlled substances are recorded with a witness Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Certificates of destruction from the reverse distributor or the waste vendor are on file for the last 12 months Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The quantity on each certificate of destruction agrees with the shipment inventory, on the sample checked Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Compounding waste and expired compounding ingredients are disposed of with their own record Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Patient labels on vials to be discarded are removed or made unreadable Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Product awaiting destruction is not held beyond the time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Destruction records for controlled substances in the last 12 months Number
  15. Date of the last witnessed destruction Date
  16. Destruction records Rating
    • Complete, witnessed and matched to certificates 5 pts
    • Complete but unwitnessed or unmatched 3 pts
    • Missing 1 pt

5. Records 15 items

  1. Return-to-stock transactions can be listed by date and employee from the dispensing system Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Reverse distribution inventories are kept for the period required by local regulation or company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Credit statements from the reverse distributor are matched to the shipment inventories Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Credits expected and not received after the time set by company policy are followed up Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Reverse distribution shipments in the last 12 months Number
  6. Shipments with no credit statement on file Number
  7. Wholesaler return authorizations are kept with proof of pickup Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Wholesaler credits are checked against the returns sent Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Product denied credit by the manufacturer is reviewed to prevent the same loss Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Records of controlled substance returns are filed separately from other returns Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Records could be produced for the auditor within 15 minutes Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The store's cost of unsaleable product for the last period is known to the pharmacy manager Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Unsaleable prescription product written off in the last period (dollars) Number
  14. Recall notices of the last 12 months are filed with the action taken Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Drugs returned to stock repeatedly for the same patient are noted on the patient's profile Yes / No 1 pt

6. Variances 17 items

  1. Drugs with recent return-to-stock activity counted by the auditor Number
  2. Drugs counted where the shelf quantity did not match the system Number
  3. Each mismatch found was traced to its cause during the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Negative on-hand quantities are listed and corrected weekly Yes / No 1 pt
  5. On-hand adjustments after returns to stock are made under an individual login Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The adjustment report shows no pattern of upward adjustments without a matching reversal Yes / No 1 pt
  7. High-cost drugs (specialty, brand inhalers, insulin, GLP-1 pens) returned to stock are counted at the next cycle count Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Refrigerated high-cost returns were found in the refrigerator at the quantity shown in the system Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Differences between the reverse distributor's received count and the store's inventory are investigated Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Shortages reported by the reverse distributor on controlled substances are treated as a possible loss Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The pharmacy manager reviews return-to-stock volume by employee for unusual patterns Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Return-to-stock volume as a share of prescriptions filled is tracked against the company benchmark Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Return-to-stock rate for the last period (% of prescriptions filled) Number
  14. Corrective actions from the previous review have been completed Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Name of the pharmacy manager Short text
  16. Overall control of unclaimed and returned product Rating
    • Returns reversed and labeled, shipments matched to credits 5 pts
    • Controlled with late reversals or gaps in records 3 pts
    • Product returned or shipped without records 1 pt
  17. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the InspectLoop template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In InspectLoop you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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