Assessment of the Challenges of Supply Chain Management of Laboratory Commodities: In the Case of Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency, Addis Ababa
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Date
2021-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Laboratory services play a significant role in a country’s health system and in the delivery of quality health services. For laboratories to function effectively, they must have the commodities needed for the testing services offered. Considering wide range of commodities needed at the various levels of the laboratory network, ensuring the availability of commodities is mandatory. This study targets to assess challenges of supply chain management of laboratory Commodities in the Case of Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency. A descriptive, cross-sectional study design with mixed research approaches, qualitative, and quantitative were employed in data collection and analysis. Three interviews, thirty-one questionnaires were responded. The finding indicates that the cause of frequent stock out in EPSA is quantification error (improper quantification). Professionals who had limited skills and knowledge quantify laboratory commodities. More than half, (61.3%) believed that the agency has no continues follow up on stock status of lab commodities, (51.6%) confirmed that EPSA had no enough hard currency to procure and avail all lab commodities, (58.1%) procurement process cannot be finished with in the specified lead-time. 80% of the respondents believed that there were a gap about distribution of full package laboratory kits to the health facilities. The major challenges found were no sufficient warehouse to accommodate room temperature required laboratory commodities, shortage of lab professional in the agency, high expiry of controls and calibrators. Therefore, the agency needs to work closely with the respective internal departments and related technical and professional experts from stakeholders for the efficiency and effectiveness of Laboratory commodities management in the health system.
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Keywords
Laboratory Commodities, Quantification error, controls and calibrators, warehouse