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Shortbook (short book)

The record of medicines a customer asked for that were out of stock.

A shortbook — sometimes a 'promise order' — records demand the shop could not serve. A customer asks for a medicine, it is not in stock, and the request is written down so it can be ordered and the customer told when it arrives.

It is the most under-used record in Indian retail pharmacy, and the most directly commercial. Sales data tells you what you sold; the shortbook tells you what you failed to sell, which is the only record of demand your stocking decisions are currently missing.

It matters more than a reorder formula for a new shop. Velocity-based reorder points need sales history, and a shop with little history has none — but every bounced customer is a data point available from day one.

Kept properly it also answers a question no report can: whether a medicine is genuinely not worth stocking, or has simply never been in stock long enough to sell.

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Related terms

FEFO (First Expiry First Out)Dispensing the batch that expires soonest, rather than the one received first. StockistThe distributor that supplies medicines from the manufacturer to retail pharmacies. Expiry returnSending near-expiry or expired stock back to the distributor for credit.

All terms

Batch numberBreakage and damageCDSCOCGST, SGST and IGSTCold chainCredit noteDPCO (Drugs Prices Control Order)Drug licence (Form 20 / Form 21)Expiry returnFEFO (First Expiry First Out)Generic vs branded medicineGSTR-1GSTR-3BHSN codeInput tax credit (ITC)Loose sale (cut strip)MRP (Maximum Retail Price)Narcotic registerNear-expiry stockNPPAPack factor (units per pack)Pharmacist registrationPTR (Price to Retailer)PTS (Price to Stockist)Purchase invoiceRed-border warning labelReorder levelRetail vs wholesale drug licenceReturn to vendor (RTV)Rule 65Rx symbolSalt compositionSchedule HSchedule H1Schedule XScheme goods (free goods)Shortbook (short book)Stock rotationStockist

This glossary is a practical reference for Indian retail pharmacy, not legal, tax or clinical advice. Requirements under the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules are enforced by state drug control authorities and vary; GST treatment should be confirmed with your CA. Verify anything you intend to rely on against the current notified position. As of August 2026.