Assessment of inventory management practices for hhman immunodefficiency virus (hiv) drugs and test kits in selected public health facilities in west wollega zone

Abstract

Background: - Effective inventory management minimizes stock outs and losses due to unnecessary expiry, and other problems, and ensures that the desired medicines are available at all times in adequate quantities. However, inventory management of health facilities in Ethiopia was reportedly addressed to be deficient. The operating information system at facility level is also minimal, so that the information obtained was of little importance to support for decision-making. Objective: - the objective of this study was to assess the inventory management practices of HIV drugs and test kits in selected public health facilities in West Wollega zone. Methods: - facility based cross-sectional study complemented with qualitative method was conducted from April 01 to May 30, 2018 to assess HIV drugs and test kits inventory management practices in the selected public health facilities in West Welega zone. Result: - a total of 23 health facilities (6 hospitals and 17 health centers) was selected for the study. The inventory management practices of HIV drugs and test kits in these facilities were assessed using recording and reporting accuracy, stock out rates, wastage rates etc. Accordingly, the average data transfer accuracy of RRF for the specific products was calculated to be 65.0%. From 409 bin cards assessed, 67.7% were updated from which 83.7% were filled accurately. The majority of the facility (78.3%) had faced stock out during the last six months of the study. Concerning the wastage of products, 88,539.79 ETB was lost due to poor inventory management during the last six months of the study period. Regarding storage conditions, only 26.1% of the assessed health facilities were adhered to good storage criteria. Managerial negligence, inadequate human resource, inadequate supply, supply of near expiry date and lack of training and supportive supervision were the identified inventory management challenges during the study. Conclusion and Recommendation: - inventory management practices of HIV drugs and test kits in West Wollega zone health facilities were deprived. Report inaccuracy, poor record updating practices, frequent stock outs, resource wastages and non-adherence to good storage practices were identified in the area. Therefore, ORHB, WoHO & ZHD of W/W zone and PFSA shall solve the identified problems accordingly. ( through recruiting adequate human power, training the staffs and providing supportive supervision and feedback regularly).