Executive summary. A return is a new handoff. Product identity, condition, destination, and supporting records should explain it.
Definition
A return is the movement of product back to a supplier, wholesaler, manufacturer, or another permitted destination under an organization’s procedures.
Capture facts before the product moves
Record what is going back, the reason, the quantity, the identifiers where they apply, and the original source transaction. That is what makes a later reconciliation possible.
Do not rely on a credit to show what happened. The return record should describe the product movement even when the financial result takes weeks.
Reconcile the return
Compare the outgoing record, the carrier or recipient confirmation, and any credit or response received. Differences are their own exceptions.
Keep return evidence connected to the original product record. Staff can then answer whether inventory, documentation, and financial entries agree.
Frequently asked questions
Why link a return to the original receipt?
The link establishes product history and lets a team investigate quantity, identity, or timing questions without rebuilding the transaction from separate files.
Referenced standards and further reading
- FDA: Drug Supply Chain Security Act ↗U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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