Inventory management in ImmsBC

Pharmacies are required to maintain accurate inventory tracking on ImmsBC which impacts vaccine orders, allocations, and vaccination administration documentation and payment.  

Overview of the Health Connect – Supply Console

Confirming an Incoming Shipment

Missing Inventory Transfers or transfer details incorrect in ImmsBC

Inter-clinic Pharmacy Transfers

ImmsBC "Use By Date" Overview

Recording Wastage and Adjusting Quantities

Making an Adjustment to a Supply

Other Inventory FAQs

Overview of Supply Location

Inventory is managed exclusively through each pharmacy's Supply Location. Supply Location is accessible from the top banner in ImmsBC 2.0. 

1. If it's your first time trying to access your pharmacy's supply location you will need to search for it using the search bar in the top banner.  
2. Type in your pharmacy's name and store number (if applicable). 
3. Click on your pharmacy's name under the listed Supply Locations (not Account Name).  
4. Once you've opened your pharmacy's Supply Location, it will be accessible in your "Recently Viewed" list if you click on Supply Location in the top banner going forward. 

Confirming an Incoming Shipment

To accept an incoming transfer, pharmacies should go to their ImmsBC Supply Location, select Transactions then Shipped Transactions (Incoming), then click Confirm transfer to confirm each shipment individually.

Only confirm the transfer when the doses arrive in your pharmacy physically and are put in your fridge. Please note that Shipped Transaction may appear the day of or the day after a physical shipment arrives at the pharmacy as the BCPhA team relies on information provided by your pharmacy distributor to enter the inventory transfer on ImmsBC and that information typically is provided the day of or day after vaccine is shipped. If after 1-2 days you do not see an incoming transfer on ImmsBC, submit an inventory remediation form here.

Pharmacies may use the “Receive Supplies” function in urgent situations where new inventory that does not already exist in your supply location must be used to start a clinic (e.g. long term care facilities). However, if this function is used to create inventory, you must still accept the incoming transfer when it arrives and make an inventory adjustment to reconcile with the physical inventory on-site. 
 

Missing Inventory Transfers or transfer details incorrect in ImmsBC

Accurate inventory management is essential. Errors will effect your ability to record vaccine administration and subsequently impact the vaccine record and/or payment.

The BCPhA team relies on information provided by your pharmacy distributor to enter the inventory transfer on ImmsBC. We receive this information from your distributor typically the day after your delivery or on the day of your delivery.  Therefore, your transfer usually will not be on ImmsBC when you receive the vaccines, however will appear either later that day or by the early afternoon of the next business day. If after that time period you do not see an incoming transfer on ImmsBC, submit an inventory remediation form here.

It is important to ensure both the quantity and lot number visible in ImmsBC match the physical item received. If the lot number or quantity does not match your physical shipment, a stock remediation form will need to be submitted as soon as possible. 

Inter-clinic Pharmacy Transfers

From time to time, pharmacies may need to transfer stock to one another. The purpose of this guide is to outline the necessary steps to complete the transfer in ImmsBC, using the example of Pharmacy A (sending the stock), and Pharmacy B (accepting the stock transfer).

Steps – Pharmacy Initiating the Transfer (Example “Pharmacy A”), part one:

1. Navigate to the Supply Location for your pharmacy (Ex. Pharmacy A).
2. From the Supply Location – Related Items screen, navigate to the Supply Container section.
3. In the Supply Container, select the appropriate vaccine to transfer by clicking the checkbox to the left of the line item.
4. Confirm you have selected the correct trade name, lot number, and expiry date of the stock you wish to transfer.
5. With the checkbox selected, click the Transfer button.
6. From the Transfer screen, enter the number of doses you wish to transfer.
7. Type the name of the Supply Location of the pharmacy where you would like to transfer the supplies (Ex. Pharmacy B).
8. Click Transfer to complete the transfer. The inventory in the Supply Container will be reduced by the number of doses transferred out.
9. Optional Step: To validate that the transfer has been initiated, navigate to the Transactions tab, and look for your transfer in the “Shipped Transactions – Outgoing” section.

Steps – Pharmacy Accepting the Transfer (Example “Pharmacy B”), part two:

1. Navigate to the Supply Location for your pharmacy (Ex. Pharmacy B)
2. From the Supply Location – Transactions screen, navigate to the Shipped Transaction – Incoming section.
3. Select the appropriate transaction from the “Shipped Transactions – Incoming” section.
4. Accept the transfer by clicking the checkbox to the left of the line item.
5. Click the Confirm Transfer button.
6. Select the appropriate Supply Distribution container from the drop-down list (i.e., Operational Fridge).

7. Click Confirm Transaction to complete the transfer. The accepted vaccine inventory will now appear in the Related Items tab, in a Supply Container. (See screenshot above, Confirming an Incoming Shipment.)

    

ImmsBC “Use By Date” Overview

The “Use By Date” is used to record the new expiration date assigned to a product due to changes in its state (e.g., thawing) or repackaging. This date must never exceed the Manufacturer Expiry Date and indicates when the product should no longer be used.

For COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, “Use By Date” is tracked once products are thawed and/or as moved between sites, up until administration. Each Health Authority or pharmacy determines its own tracking method, such as applying stickers to vials.

In ImmsBC “Use By Date” can be assigned to inventory stock in several ways:

1. User can set “Use By Date” for an existing supply container via transfer function.

2. User is also able to set “Use By Date” when confirming a transfer shipment, if a shipment contains a date that needs to be corrected, they can do so on the same screen.

“Use By Date” is displayed on Supply Container as an individual column as well as part of the Supply Container Name.

User is also able to correct used by date, as well as some users (PPHIS support team) can clear “Use By Date” on containers. 

For more details, please reference ImmsBC Reference Guide _ Inventory - “Use By Date” available here.

Recording Wastage and Adjusting Quantities

Accurate inventory management is essential. Errors will affect your ability to record vaccine administrations and subsequently impact vaccine records, payments and eligibility for top-ups. 

Once you have located your list of Supply Items, follow the steps below to record wastage in either version of ImmsBC:

1. Find the Supply Item you would like to record the wastage against.
2. Click on the drop-down arrow next to Last Modified Date and click on Wastage.
3. Validate the Product, Lot number and Expiry Date.
4. Enter the Quantity or Number of Doses to record as wastage. The Dose Conversion Factor is applied so you can enter either amount. You will not be able to enter a number that has more than 16 digits before the decimal point in the Quantity or Doses fields. You will be able to enter doses with up to two decimal places, so that you can record partial doses.
5. Select the Reason for the wastage (mandatory field) and add Comments.
6. Click Wastage.
7. After clicking Wastage, you will be redirected to the Supply Location view, where you will see that the Remaining Doses and Remaining Quantity of vaccine supplies have been adjusted to account for the wastage logged.
8. Click the Related tab in the Supply Location to view the full record.

For end of season:

*When recording wastage, please use the following values:

• “Reason For Wastage” = “Other (see comment)”
• “Comments” = “Program End”
   

Making an Adjustment to a Supply

If you need to adjust the number of doses available in a single supply item, you can do so within the Related Items tab of your Supply Location. 

1. Click on the drop-down arrow on the right of the screen, in line with the supply item that you 
   would like to adjust.
2. Select Adjustment, from the drop-down list. A pop-up box will then appear.

For more detailed instructions please see:

• How to Manage Inventory in ImmsBC for Pharmacies: ImmsBC User Guide (August 10 2026)
• How to Record Wastage and Make Adjustments to Vaccine Supplies in ImmsBC (August 10 2026)

Other Inventory FAQs

Click here for additional Inventory FAQs