Evaluating the Availability of Non -Program Essential Drugs at Defense Health Centers: The case of Ethiopian Ministry of Defense Selected Health Centers
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Date
2020-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
In Ethiopia, majority of the common leading causes of morbidity and mortality can be
substantially reduced if essential drugs (EDs) are made available and appropriately used, where
functioning of the drug management cycle is necessary. Thus, tracking changes and improvements
of the pharmaceutical logistics performance is important. The aim of this study was to Evaluate the
level of availability of essential medicines of Health Centers in Ministry of defense giving
emphasis to non-program drugs (NPDs). A facility based descriptive cross sectional survey of the
pharmacy of HCs in Addis Ababa and HCs that where found within 150 km from Addis Ababa was
conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods. seventeen HCs were included in the
study.
Overall availability of non program essential tracer medicines at the day of visit across the 17 Health
Centers was found to be 85.88 % .one year retrospective Bin card review showed tracer Essential
medicines where available on average for 11 month(92%) in a year ,which corresponds with an
average 31 days(8%) out of stock duration in year. In conclusion, overall availability of EM is
encouraging but works are needed to achieve WHO target of 100%. major problem common to all
HC’s regarding drug management cycle Where ,drugs for essential drug list where not being selected
by DTC, majority of the Centers don’t use formula for quantification, procurement by brand names
was common practice, non availability of computer system and software and prescribing of medicines
which ware not listed on essential medicine list where found from the study.DTC in HCs should be
strengthened by each pharmacy units of the HCs and other stakeholders who closely work with the
HCs such as defense health directorate. Usage of statistical formula based on consumption pattern
needs to be emphasized and training regarding different statistical quantification methods needs to be
initiated by the main health directorate. Procurement by Brand names should be avoided by the
individual Health Centers.
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Keywords
Drug management cycle, non-program drugs, Usage of EML, logistic management information system