Abstract:
Background: In the supply chain management system, building a resilient and sustainable
health services system depend on the achievement of logistics management. In Ethiopia the
launching of the free program treatment initiative was characterized by a large infusion of
commodities which require strong logistics management capacity.
Objective: To assess logistics management performance for program commodities at central
pharmaceutical supply agency and Ministry of health.
Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study design complemented with qualitative data
collection techniques was conducted from February 21-April 20/2019. One hundred ten
professionals involved in study from central pharmaceutical supply agency and Ministry of
health. Seventy program commodities with its logistics management documents included in
the study. The data were collected through document review, self-administered questioner,
observational checklist and in-depth interview. Quantitative data were entered and analyzed
using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23. Results obtained from 25
face to face in-depth interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis techniques.
Result: A total of 70 program commodities included in this study from Human
immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome, maternal and child
health, Malaria, and Tuberculosis programs. All commodities were from the national
essential medicine list, and the mean percentage of the international price paid was 99.48%.
Forecasts mean absolute percentage deviations were 29.08%. Average of suppliers’ lead time
137.33 days and wastage rate of program commodities was 2.1%. The central pharmaceutical
supply agency, mean order fill rate 52.9% and, the average stock out days was 8.5. The poor
data quality from pharmaceutical supply agency hubs and health facilities was the major
challenge for central pharmaceutical supply agency which led to unacceptable forecasting
error which intern caused wastage and stock out of essential medicines.
Conclusion: The study showed a weak logistics management performance at the upper
stream supply chain system of the country, which was evidenced by inaccurate forecasting,
long stock out duration, high wastage rate, and distribution malpractice. Poor data quality
from the downstream supply chain was one of the major challenges affecting the logistics
practice.
