Abstract
Background: Essential medicines are important in the provision of healthcare services. In order to promote effective management of diseases, essential medicines should be consistently available at various healthcare service points. However, in several parts of South Africa and other African countries, there are challenges with essential medicines provisioning, as evidenced by public health sector stock-outs occurring when patients visiting the healthcare services do not get all the medicine prescribed for their health conditions. This research investigated the problems involved in the provision of essential medicines in order to propose strategies that will reduce medicine stock-outs.Aim: This study aimed to investigate the problems involved in the provision of essential medicines within the district healthcare services in order to propose strategies to promote reduction in medicine stock-outs.Method: A qualitative exploratory research design was utilised. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with pharmaceutical managers identified as information-rich participants, as they have first-hand experience in the provision of essential medicines. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.Results: The study identified the various aspects including inadequate appointment of post-basic pharmacist assistants and manual medicine stock management systems have a negative impact on medicines provisioning in the public health sector. Rural health facilities experience more challenges with essential medicines provisioning.Conclusion: Based on the challenges identified, the study concludes that a comprehensive strategic framework should be implemented including placement of Post-Basic Pharmacist Assistants in the primary healthcare facilities and deployment of electronic medicine stock management system to facilitate consistent provisioning and availability of medicines in particular for the rural health facilities.
Highlights
Access to safe, effective and quality medicines and vaccines for all is one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals
Availability of essential medicines to treat non communicable diseases (NCDs) was found to be below 60% in African region countries surveyed (World Health Organization 2016)
The government further identified medicine provisioning as a risk requiring mitigation through ringfenced budget and monitored medicine procurement contracts to promote the likelihood that essential medicines will always be available (South African Department of Health 2018)
Summary
Effective and quality medicines and vaccines for all is one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. In several parts of South Africa and other African countries, there are challenges with essential medicines provisioning, as evidenced by public health sector stock-outs occurring when patients visiting the healthcare services do not get all the medicine prescribed for their health conditions. In South Africa the provision of essential medicines is a regulated function of the National Department of Health which is facilitated through national medicine contracts from which provinces and regions procure medicines for delivery to the central medical depots for distribution to the various healthcare facilities based on orders placed (South African Department of Health 2018). The government further identified medicine provisioning as a risk requiring mitigation through ringfenced budget and monitored medicine procurement contracts to promote the likelihood that essential medicines will always be available (South African Department of Health 2018)
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