Challenges of Pharmaceuticals Outbound Logistics in Ethiopia: The Case of Ethiopian Pharmaceuticals Supply Agency
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Date
2020-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals outbound logistics is the process and activities of storing, distributing and transporting of health care commodities to end users. For the central
EPSA the practice begins when the inventory management team receives order from
the hubs and customers and ends when the pharmaceutical products are delivered. The goal of this study was to identify the challenges of outbound logistics using
qualitative research approach. Primary data which were collected with open ended
questionnaires, in-depth face-to-face interviews and direct observation were used as
data collecting tools. The study identified major challenges of pharmaceuticals
outbound logistics including insuf icient warehouse spaces, poor integration links
between operational units, the agency’s structure itself, inadequacy of material
handling equipments and their operatives, poor labeling and descriptions, product
non conformance with documents, inability to segregate warehouses for dif erent
pharmaceuticals products during storage and integrate during transport. Based on
the conclusions of summary of results, recommendations were forwarded to the
agency including: constructing additional centralized warehouses, integration of
functional units, restructuring of the civil service structure, working in collaboration
with regional governments and close monitoring of activities. Inability of the study to
extrapolate challenges of outbound logistics of the agency’s hubs to health facilities
were limitations of the study, and the period at which the study conducted, when the
agency is implementing change initiatives were taken as good opportunity for future
directions.
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Keywords
outbound logistics, , Pharmaceuticals, order fill rate