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Pharmacy Procurement GRN

Dr M H B Ariyaratne edited this page May 22, 2026 · 1 revision

Pharmacy Procurement — GRN and Goods Receipt

Overview

A Goods Received Note (GRN) records the physical receipt of items ordered via a Purchase Order. The GRN process in the HMIS pharmacy module supports:

  • Standard GRN (against a PO)
  • GRN with costing (invoice matching)
  • GRN with multi-step approval
  • Wholesale GRN (for redistribution from another facility)
  • Direct purchase (receipt without a prior PO)

Standard GRN

Navigation: Pharmacy → Procurement → GRN

Steps:

  1. Select the supplier.
  2. Select the related Purchase Order from the list.
  3. The system pre-fills ordered items — verify quantities actually received.
  4. Enter batch numbers, expiry dates, and unit costs for each line.
  5. Click Save to record the receipt.

Stock levels update immediately upon GRN save.


GRN with Costing (Invoice Matching)

The GRN costing step links the supplier's invoice to the receipt, enabling invoice matching.

Navigation: Pharmacy → Procurement → GRN with Costing

Steps:

  1. Complete the standard GRN fields.
  2. Enter the supplier invoice number and invoice date.
  3. Verify the invoice total against line-item totals.
  4. Click Save & Approve or save for separate approval.

Finalization: Pharmacy → Procurement → GRN List to Finalize

Once finalized, the GRN is locked and supplier payment can be processed.


GRN with Approval Workflow

Some deployments require GRNs to be approved before finalization.

Workflow:

Create GRN → Submit for Approval → Approve → Finalize

Approve queue: Pharmacy → Procurement → GRN List to Approve
Finalize queue: Pharmacy → Procurement → GRN List to Finalize


Wholesale GRN

Used when receiving goods transferred from another hospital or warehouse facility rather than directly from a supplier.

Navigation: Pharmacy → Procurement → GRN (Wholesale)

The workflow is similar to a standard GRN, but the source is marked as a sister institution rather than an external supplier.


Direct Purchase (No Prior PO)

When goods are received without a formal PO (emergency purchases, small procurements):

Navigation: Pharmacy → Procurement → Direct Purchase

  1. Select the supplier.
  2. Add items with quantities, batch numbers, expiry dates, and unit costs.
  3. Save.

Direct purchases are recorded as a separate bill type and are fully reportable.


Reprinting a GRN

Navigation: Pharmacy → Procurement → Reprint GRN

Search by GRN number or date range, then select the GRN to reprint.


Cancelling a GRN

A GRN that has not been costed/finalized can be cancelled.

Navigation: Pharmacy → Procurement → Cancel GRN

GRNs that have supplier payments applied cannot be cancelled without first reversing the payment.


Batch Numbers and Expiry Dates

Every GRN line item must have a batch number and expiry date. The system uses this data for:

  • FEFO (First Expiry, First Out) dispensing
  • Near-expiry alerts
  • Batch traceability

See Pharmacy Batch Management and Expiry Tracking for full details.


Stock Impact

Action Stock Effect
Save GRN Increases department/pharmacy stock
Cancel GRN Reverses the stock increase
GRN Return Reduces stock for returned items

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