The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on May 08, 2026, issued notification on Monitoring, Management, and Disposal of Near-Expiry, Expired, and Slow-Moving Medicines in ESI Hospitals.
The ESIC has issued directions to all its hospitals and institutions to address concerns regarding frequent expiry of drugs and improper disposal practices. Emphasis has been placed on strengthening inventory management, ensuring patient safety, and complying with statutory guidelines for handling near-expiry, expired, and slow/non-moving medicines.
All institutions are required to conduct mandatory monthly reviews of drug stocks, including near-expiry, expired, and slow/non-moving items. Store in-charges must complete stock verification by the 5th of every month, maintain an expiry monitoring register, and submit reports by the 7th. The Head of the Institution will oversee this process. Additionally, a Drug Monitoring Committee (DMC) must be constituted to review stock status quarterly and recommend measures such as inter-departmental or inter-hospital utilization and replacement of near-expiry stock.
In cases where drugs expire despite preventive measures, they must be securely stored, clearly labeled, and transferred to central stores. A Condemnation Committee is to be formed for examining expired or unusable drugs and recommending write-off in accordance with GFR 2017 rules, with proper approvals and accountability for negligence. Detailed reporting to ESIC Headquarters is also mandated.
For disposal, strict adherence to CDSCO guidelines (May 26, 2025) is required, including proper segregation and safe handling of different categories of drugs. The circular also reiterates definitions, mandates monthly and annual physical verification of stores, and requires strict compliance with FIFO/FEFO principles to minimize wastage and ensure efficient drug utilization.
[Notification No. U-25/12/Miscellaneoumatter/2025/Med-V(E-1433186)/162]
