Medicine Supply Chain Management Practice by Health Extension Workers, in Selected Primary Health Care Units in North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia: A qualitative Study
| dc.contributor.advisor | Messele Bruck | |
| dc.contributor.author | Kassa Haregewoin | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2020-03-12T11:35:34Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-11-06T08:09:56Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2020-03-12T11:35:34Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-11-06T08:09:56Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2019-04 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Introduction: Health Extension Workers (HEWs) play key roles in the health care system ofEthiopia. They do health promotion, prevention and curative activities as well as manage anumber of items including medicines at the community and health post level in which access tohealth care is limited. Even though HEWs manage various medicines, they come acrosschallenges when they order, receive, store and distribute medicines to the community. The extentof challenges they face may vary from region to region and from time to time. However, inEthiopia few studies have conducted on supply chain management of medicines by HEWs andchallenges faced. Method: A qualitative study design was used. In depth interview of HEWs, key informantinterviews with pharmacy professionals, two focus group discussions among female community members and observation were carried out. The data was coded and analyzed thematically, basedon objectives. Result: HEWs receive a list of drugs from the cluster health center by calculating for a month ortwo months. And they put medicines on the shelf and cartons without being well arranged. Basedon Integrated community case management booklet, HEWs treat patients who are under 5 of ageand give medicines for the disease that defines. If it is out of their scope they refer them to theHC. HEWs in North Shewa are dissatisfied with their job because of their salary scale, lack ofincentives, unable to upgrade their career. They also feel that they are not as beneficiary as otherhealth workers in terms of other job opportunities. They are also overloaded by nonprofessionalactivities. The overall HEWs training focuses on family planning whereas medicine managementpractice training is minimal. Conclusion: HEWs are front line health workers in the rural community. From this study theyreceive, store and distribute or dispense medicines to consumers not in line with therecommended guidelines. This is due to lack of adequate training, transport, overload with othertasks, and resources limitation including medicines. So the woreda or zonal health offices need tointervene by giving regular and detail medicine supply chain training and in turn improvingHEWs supply chain of medicine management practices. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/21130 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Addis Abeba University | en_US |
| dc.subject | Medicine, Medicine supply chain management, Health Extension Workers | en_US |
| dc.title | Medicine Supply Chain Management Practice by Health Extension Workers, in Selected Primary Health Care Units in North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia: A qualitative Study | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |