Stock and batches of products in a clinic
Stock control in a clinic is not solved by counting units: every product used on patients has to be recorded by batch, with its expiry date, and every use has to be linked to the patient who received it. That way you know what to reorder, which batch to use first and, if an alert arrives about a batch, which patients it affects.
Why a clinic's stock is managed by batch
In a shop it is enough to know how many units are left. In a clinic, two boxes of the same product are not equal if they come from different batches: each batch has its own expiry date and, if there is a problem with a product, knowing which batch was used on each patient is what lets you act only on those affected. That is why a useful inventory does not say “12 left”, but “7 left from batch A, which expires in March, and 5 from batch B”.
The traceability chain starts before the product reaches the consulting room. Spain's Real Decreto 192/2023, which regulates medical devices, requires any economic operator that places products on the market to keep a documented record that includes, among other data, the serial or batch number and the identification of the healthcare centre or healthcare professional to whom the product was supplied. The last link, which patient received that batch, can only be recorded by the clinic.
What batch control gives you day to day is concrete:
- Reordering in time, because you can see what is left of each batch.
- Using first what expires first, and not finding expired product at the back of the cupboard.
- Responding quickly if there is an incident with a batch, because you know which patients it was used on.
Registering products and batches when the order arrives
The practical approach is to register each batch when the order arrives, with the delivery note in front of you. In Mi Clínica this is done in “Stock y trazabilidad” (Stock and traceability), with “Registrar producto/lote” (Register product/batch):
- Product. Choose it from the list or, if it is the first time, create it on the spot with “Producto nuevo” (New product), its name and its category.
- Batch and expiry date, copied from the packaging.
- Supplier, so you know whom to call if there is a problem.
- Quantity received, which must be greater than zero.
The screen does not let you register the same batch number twice. If more units of a batch you already hold arrive later, they are added from its record with “Registrar entrada” (Register receipt), and the receipt is kept in the batch's history.
By default, products and batches are registered by those who manage or invoice: “Dirección” (Management), “Administración” (Administration) and “Recepción” (Reception). That way the order can be registered at reception without waiting for the consultation to finish.
Usage, noted in the session itself
Usage is recorded where it happens: in the patient's session, not at the end of the day from memory. In Mi Clínica the practitioner notes it when documenting the session, in two ways:
- On the consultation sheet for aesthetic medicine, choosing the product and batch used and the quantity.
- On the body chart, indicating the product, the batch and the quantity for each mark. When saving, the program offers to record the usage in stock; if you have already recorded it on the consultation sheet, it is unticked so it is not counted twice.
On the consultation sheet, the dropdown only offers batches that have not expired and have quantity left. When you record the use, the program deducts it from the batch and does not let you use more than what is left. Recording a use on a patient requires clinical access, and the patient, the appointment, the practitioner and the date are logged.
If your clinic works with body or facial maps, in the body chart in the clinic we explain what saving one version per visit is for. What each practitioner treats, and with which product, is their own clinical decision: Mi Clínica does not diagnose or give health advice.
Expiry dates, low stock and counts
Mi Clínica's inventory classifies each batch into four statuses, so you can see at a glance what needs attention:
| Status | When | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Expired | Its expiry date has passed | Withdraw it, with the reason |
| Close to expiry | Expires in 30 days or less | Use it before the newer batches |
| Low stock | 20% or less of what came in is left | Consider placing an order |
| Normal | None of the above | Nothing |
When a batch is about to expire, its record recommends prioritising it over newer batches. When it has expired, it warns that it must not be used on patients and offers “Retirar lote (caducado / incidencia)” (Withdraw batch (expired / incident)): the remaining quantity goes to zero and the reason is kept in its history.
And since the cupboard never tallies on its own, the physical count has its place. With “Corregir restante” (Correct remaining) you adjust the quantity to what is really there, but you have to write a reason of at least five characters, and the previous value, the new value and the reason are logged. By default, correcting or withdrawing a batch can be done by “Dirección”, “Administración” and professionals with clinical access.
When there is an alert or an incident with a batch
If a supplier or a manufacturer warns you of a problem with a batch, the first thing is to know whom it affects. On each batch's record in Mi Clínica, the section “¿En qué pacientes se ha utilizado este lote?” (Which patients has this batch been used on?) lists every use with the patient, the treatment, the date, the practitioner and the quantity. Patients' names are only visible to those with clinical or management access, and every view of that record is logged.
Next, withdraw the batch with its reason so that nobody uses it again, and follow your centre's protocol with the affected patients. Official reporting has its own rules. Real Decreto 192/2023 establishes that healthcare professionals who, in the course of their activity, become aware of a serious incident “must report it to the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices” (Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios), and that healthcare centres will designate a vigilance officer. For implantable products, with the exceptions it provides for, it adds that centres will complete the implant card “including the identification of the patient and of the healthcare centre” (quotations translated from the Spanish).
Those obligations fall on the centre and its professionals, and your autonomous community may have its own rules on healthcare centres. The batch register does not replace them, but it gives you the data to comply with them without going through records one by one.
A simple routine for the storeroom
Stock control works if it becomes a habit. A routine that fits into a normal week:
- When the order arrives: register each batch with its expiry date, its supplier and the quantity.
- In every session: note the batch and quantity used on the consultation sheet or the body chart.
- Once a week: review the batches close to expiry and those with low stock, and place the order.
- Once a month: do a physical count and correct whatever does not tally, with its reason.
- Always: withdraw expired batches as soon as they appear.
If you run an aesthetic medicine clinic, in software for aesthetic medicine clinics you will see how stock fits with the facial map, photos and quotes. The rest of the features are on the Mi Clínica page (in Spanish).
Sources consulted
Checked on 11 October 2026. We link to the original source so that you can consult the current text.
Frequently asked questions
Who can register a new batch in Mi Clínica?
By default, those who manage or invoice: “Dirección” (Management), “Administración” (Administration) and “Recepción” (Reception). Recording the use of a batch on a patient, however, is done by someone with clinical access.
What happens if I try to use more than what is left in a batch?
The program does not allow it: when you record the use, it checks what is left in the batch and rejects a larger quantity.
Can stock be adjusted if the physical count does not match?
Yes, with “Corregir restante” (Correct remaining). You must write the reason, and the previous value, the new value and who changed it are logged.
Who has to report a serious incident with a medical device?
Spain's Real Decreto 192/2023 says that healthcare professionals who, in the course of their activity, become aware of a serious incident must report it to the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS). The batch register helps you know which patients are affected.