> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bizaxl.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Items Catalogue
> How to add and manage medicines and medical products in Bizaxl - batch settings, expiry tracking, reorder levels, and pricing.
Every medicine, medical device, or health product you sell or stock is called an **Item** in Bizaxl. The Items Catalogue is your master product list - the foundation for everything else: purchasing, selling, stock tracking, and reporting.
Getting your items set up correctly is critical, especially for a medical retail business where batch numbers, expiry dates, and reorder levels are not optional extras - they are essential for safe and compliant operations.
***
## Who Uses This Feature
| Role | What They Do Here |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Store Manager / Administrator** | Creates and maintains the product catalogue |
| **Inventory Staff** | Checks item details, reorder levels, and batch settings |
| **Purchasing Staff** | Reviews item details when raising purchase orders |
| **Accounts Staff** | Checks HSN codes and tax rates linked to items |
***
## Before You Start
Before creating items, make sure these master records exist:
* **Item Groups** - categories like "Tablets", "Syrups", "Surgical Supplies", "Vitamins". Create these in Stock → Item Group.
* **Unit of Measure (UOM)** - e.g. Nos (pieces), Strip, Box, ML, Grams. Standard UOMs are already available.
* **Brand** - if you want to track products by manufacturer brand (e.g. Sun Pharma, Cipla).
***
## How to Create a New Item
1. Go to **Stock workspace → Item** (or search "Item" in the top bar)
2. Click **New**
3. Fill in the required fields (marked with \*)
4. Enable batch tracking if this medicine comes in batches with expiry dates
5. Set reorder levels
6. Save and Submit
***
## Field Guide
### Basic Details
| Field | What to Enter | Required? |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------- |
| **Item Code** | A unique code for the product (e.g. AMOX-500, PARA-650) - auto-generated or enter manually | Yes |
| **Item Name** | The full product name (e.g. Amoxicillin 500mg Capsules) | Yes |
| **Item Group** | The category this product belongs to (e.g. Antibiotics, Vitamins) | Yes |
| **Stock Unit of Measure** | How you count this item - Strip, Bottle, Box, Nos, ML | Yes |
| **Brand** | The manufacturer's brand name | No |
| **Description** | Any additional notes about the product | No |
### Stock Settings
| Field | What to Enter | Required? |
| ------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- |
| **Is Stock Item** | Tick this - must be ON for medicines and physical products | Yes (default ON) |
| **Opening Stock** | If you are creating this item and stock already exists, enter the current quantity | No |
| **Valuation Rate** | The cost price per unit - used for stock valuation | No (but recommended) |
| **Standard Selling Rate** | The default selling price | No |
### Batch & Expiry Settings
For ALL medicines that come with a manufacturing date and expiry date, you MUST enable these settings. This is not optional in a medical retail context.
| Field | What to Enter |
| ---------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Has Batch No** | Tick ON - enables batch tracking for this item |
| **Create New Batch Automatically** | Tick ON - system will auto-create batch records when stock is received |
| **Has Expiry Date** | Tick ON - forces entry of expiry date on every batch |
| **Shelf Life in Days** | (Optional) Enter the normal shelf life so the system can calculate expected expiry |
| **Has Serial No** | For high-value medical devices (e.g. glucometers, thermometers) that need individual serial tracking - leave OFF for standard medicines |
### Reorder Settings
| Field | What to Enter |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Reorder Levels** (table) | Click Add Row, select Warehouse, enter Reorder Level (minimum qty before alert) and Reorder Qty (how much to order) |
This is what triggers replenishment alerts. When your stock falls below the Reorder Level, the system shows a warning and can auto-create a Material Request.
### Tax & Pricing
| Field | What to Enter |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Item Tax Template** | Select the GST tax template for this product (e.g. "GST 12%", "GST 5%", "GST Exempt") |
| **HSN Code** | The Harmonised System of Nomenclature code for this product - required for GST compliance |
| **Price List Rates** | Set selling prices in different price lists (e.g. Retail, Wholesale) |
### Valuation
| Field | What to Enter |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Valuation Method** | Choose FIFO (First In, First Out) - recommended for medicines with expiry dates |
| **End of Life** | Date after which this product should no longer be purchased or sold |
***
## Workflow Journey
Open a new item and fill in the basic details: item code, name, group, and unit of measure.
Enable "Has Batch No" and "Has Expiry Date" for any medicine that comes with a manufacturing date and expiry date.
Add reorder level and reorder quantity for each warehouse so the system can alert you before stock runs out.
Select the correct GST tax template and enter the HSN code required for tax compliance.
Items are a master record and do not require submission. Once saved, the item is immediately active.
The item can now be used in purchasing, selling, stock entries, and reports.
Items are a **master record** - they do not need to be submitted. Once saved, they are immediately available across the system.
***
## Item Variants
If you sell the same medicine in different strengths or pack sizes (e.g. Paracetamol 250mg and 500mg, or a syrup in 60ml and 100ml bottles), you can create one **template item** and add variants.
1. On the item form, tick **Has Variants**
2. Define the variant attributes (e.g. "Strength", "Pack Size")
3. Click **Create Variants** - the system generates individual item records for each combination
This avoids duplicating the full item setup for each strength or pack size.
***
## Item Barcodes
If your medicines come with barcodes (standard or pharmacode format):
1. Scroll to the **Barcodes** section on the item form
2. Click Add Row
3. Enter the barcode number and select the barcode type
Once set up, the POS billing screen will recognise the barcode when scanned.
***
## Disabling an Item
If a product is discontinued or no longer available, tick the **Disabled** checkbox on the item form. A disabled item:
* Will not appear in purchase or sales forms
* Will not appear in the POS item search
* Will still appear in historical reports (it is not deleted)
***
## Best Practices
* **Use meaningful item codes.** A code like `AMOX-500-CAP-10` (Amoxicillin 500mg Capsule 10-strip) is far more useful than `ITEM001`.
* **Always enable batch and expiry tracking for medicines.** If you skip this at setup and add it later, existing stock will not have batch records, causing problems at sale time.
* **Set reorder levels from day one.** Do not leave them blank and rely on memory - the system will alert you automatically if reorder levels are set.
* **Assign HSN codes to every item.** GST returns require HSN-level reporting. Missing HSN codes will cause errors at filing time.
* **Use FIFO valuation for medicines.** FIFO ensures that the oldest (and likely nearest-expiry) stock is valued and sold first, which aligns with FEFO dispensing practice.
***
## Common Mistakes
* **Not enabling "Has Expiry Date" for medicines.** This means the system will accept stock without expiry dates, making the Batch Expiry Status report unreliable.
* **Using the same item for different pack sizes.** A strip of 10 tablets and a bottle of 60 tablets are not the same item - they have different costs, quantities, and barcodes. Create separate items.
* **Setting reorder level to zero.** A zero reorder level means the system will never alert you. Set a realistic minimum.
* **Skipping HSN codes.** These are mandatory for GST compliance. Add them at setup, not at filing time.
***
## Related Features
* [Batch & Expiry Tracking](/retail/medical-retail/batch-expiry-tracking) - how batches are created and managed
* [Material Request](/retail/medical-retail/material-request) - requesting stock when reorder level is hit
* [Purchase Receipt](/retail/medical-retail/purchase-receipt) - where batch and expiry data is first entered
* [Point of Sale](/retail/medical-retail/point-of-sale) - how items and barcodes work at the billing counter
* [GST Compliance](/retail/medical-retail/gst-compliance) - HSN code requirements for tax filing