Anti-TB Medicines Supply Chain Management Practices and Related Challenges in Gurage Zone Public Health Facilities, Southern Ethiopia
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Date
2021-09
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Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Introduction: Gaps in managing the supply chain of anti-tuberculosis (TB) medicines result in
supply interruptions posing significant health-related and economic consequences.
Objective: To assess anti-TB medicines supply chain management practices and related challenges
in Gurage Zone public health facilities.
Methods: A concurrent/parallel explanatory mixed methods design was followed in this study.
Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from August to September, 2020. Simple
random and purposive sampling was used to select study participants. A structured questionnaire
and observational check list was used to collect quantitative data and analyzed using Microsoft
Excel 2013 and SPSS version 25. For the qualitative part, an interview guide was used to collect
data from fifteen key informants and analyzed thematically.
Results: Twenty public health facilities (HFs) in Gurage Zone providing TB management and care
were included in the study. Majority of the HFs (18, 90%) were using only stock recording cards
to control the inventory of anti-TB medicines. The average physical stock count corresponding to
inventory recorded count for a set of anti-TB medicines was 76.6%. For a set of anti-TB medicines
the average availability was 82.6% and the average stock out duration was 11.23 ± 1.38 days per a
year (Min=0, Max=115). The average wastage rate for a set of first-line anti-TB medicines was
4.78%. Qualitative interviews showed the absence of computerized drug management system to
manage anti-TB drugs supply chain and the lack of healt h facilit ies’ involvement in drug
quantification as major barriers for the effective management of anti-TB medicines supply.
Conclusions: The most current version of the national TB treatment guidelines and job aids were
not available in the majorit y of public healt h facilities and it was also noted that quantificat ion of
ant i-TB drugs was a major problem. In majorit y of the health facilit ies storage condit ion needs
early intervent ions and inventory control system was totally manual.
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Keywords
Gurage zone, medicines, practice, supply chain management, tuberculosis.