Prof. Fenta, Teferi Gedif (B.pharm,MPH,PhD)Bilal, Arebu Issa (B.Pharm, MSc, Ass Professor)Mossa, Dargicho Ahmed2021-10-172023-11-062021-10-172023-11-062021-08http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/28211Background: Essential medicines shortages pose a serious challenge for health care facilit ies in Southern Nat ions, Nat ionalit ies and Peoples‟ Region, often affecting health care system. The objectives of the study were to identify the causes of essential medicines shortages and to point out solutions to prevent this problem in public health facilities of the Region. Methods: A mixed methods design was applied to assess stock outs of essential medicines and its contributing factors in 30 public health facilities. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 20; while the qualitative data was categorized into themes based on the study objectives and analyzed manually. Results: The average stock out on the day of visit was 9(30%) with the 4(24%) of the items were with below minimum stock level., 6(38%) were in safe stock level ,and 3(16%) were in overstock level. The average stock out duration of selected essential medicines was 74 days. Sub-optimal use of the Logistics information system, poor quantification and distribution practices, limited number of human resources for supply chain management and inadequate skills, insufficient budget and irrational prescribing and dispensing practices were raised by the key informants as contributing factors for the medicines shortages in the Region. Conclusion: - Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples‟ Region has experienced shortages of essential medicines. Factors such as poor logistic management information system, lack of skill in logistics activities, less commitment, weak monitoring and evaluation systems, irrational prescribing and dispensing practices and insufficient budget allocation and its mismanagement contributed to the shortages.en-USContributing factors, Essential Medicines, Shortage, stock out, Public health facilitiesThesis