Abstract:
Public procurement is a key tool to the overall achievements of development goals such as
reducing poverty and providing health, infrastructure, education and other services hence
immensely contribute to best utilization of public resources. Despite its importance, limited
scientific research has been undertaken to examine challenges of procurement in public
institutions in the case of Health institutions. This study aimed to examine challenges in
procurement of pharmaceuticals in Jimma University Specialized Hospital. Specifically, the
study sought to assess challenges in regards to the pharmaceuticals procurement process,
pharmaceuticals procurement planning, staff competency, and information communication
technology and pharmaceuticals procurement organization structure. The study was conducted
through a descriptive design of research. The targeted respondents were 146 and comprised of
Administration officers and functional staffs that are members of pharmaceuticals procurement
committee and/or directly/indirectly involved in pharmaceutical procurements, Supply Chain
and pharmaceuticals professionals, and pharmacy service professionals, department heads of
service delivery units and nurse heads of service delivery units in Jimma University Specialized
Hospital. A structured questionnaire and interview as a data collection instrument were used.
The field data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and narrative summary
analyses. Findings indicate that lengthy pharmaceuticals procurement process is the most
serious challenge followed by lack of employee competency ,poor culture of pharmaceuticals
procurement planning took third rank followed by fully centralization of pharmaceuticals
procurement activities and low level of ICT utilization is the least serious challenges in
pharmaceuticals procurement in Jimma University specialized Hospital
Finally it was recommended that pharmaceuticals procurement function at Jimma University
specialized hospital needs adopting of information technology and enhancing the employee
competency, skill and experience , decentralizing of noncomplex procurement activities to
service delivery units and good culture of developing pharmaceuticals procurement planning
and implementations
