A pharmacy technician pulls a stock bottle from the pharmacy shelf to fill a prescription and notices that the expiration date has passed. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Filling a prescription with an expired medication poses significant risks to patient safety, as the effectiveness of the drug may be compromised. Additionally, it is unethical and against pharmacy regulations to provide expired medications to patients, regardless of reordering the medication afterward.

While documenting the medication's details is important, simply discarding the expired medication without following proper disposal or return procedures may violate pharmacy policies. Proper protocol typically requires returning or disposing of expired stock according to established guidelines to maintain compliance and safety.

Re-shelving an expired medication is inappropriate and potentially dangerous. It can lead to the accidental dispensing of outdated drugs, which can adversely affect patient health. Instead, the expired product should be removed from circulation entirely.