What is the principle of FIFO and why is it important in Medical Stores?

• A. First-In-First-Out; older stock is issued first to prevent expiry and maintain quality.
• B. First-Out-First-In; uses oldest stock last.
• C. First-In-Only; uses all stock.
• D. Quality-first-out; only high-quality stock used.

Answer: (A)

FIFO stands for First-In-First-Out. It means the items that arrived earliest are issued first, so older stock moves out before newer stock. In Medical Stores this matters because medicines have expiry dates and must maintain potency; using the oldest stock first reduces waste from expiry and keeps inventory within its shelf life, improving safety and compliance. It also helps with recalls and tracking. The other options describe incorrect or nonstandard ideas: reversing the order would leave expired stock in use, using all stock or only high-quality stock ignores rotation and expiry, and is not how stock is managed in practice.