A Case Study On Supply Chain Process Of Medicine And Pharmaceutical Products At The Ministry Of Health In Liberia

Health programs and the people they serve depend on getting the right medicines,in good condition,when they expect them.Supply chain management is the active management of activities,within and among organizations to ensure that these objectives are achieved.Supply chain activities cover everything from procurement to warehousing and distribution to the information systems needed to enable and coordinate these activities.The medicine supply chain plays an important role throughout the entire healthcare value chain.If the supply chain is ineffective,the end-user or patients suffer.Drug shortages are a reality in today?s healthcare environment in Liberia and it is therefore of utmost importance that the drug supply chain is as effective as possible.The goal of this study is to analyze some of the social commentary that is available regarding the medical supply chain and to convert it to empirical evidence.In order to analyze the drug supply in Liberia,this research used quantitative research method to gather data,analyzed and interpret data.From the data gathered and analyzed,this study found that besides the private pharmaceutical sector,there is a single integrated Supply Chain Management Unit(SCMU)at the Ministry of Health of Liberia responsible for all medicines and healthcare commodities across vertical programs.Its key strategies of supply of medicines focus on information management systems,procurement and supply planning,movement of commodities from central to the regional levels and then to facilities,monitoring and evaluating at the central and peripheral levels.In Liberia,healthcare commodities are available through direct procurement using government allocated budget from manufacturers or contracted certified drug supply entities,donations by partners or other humanitarian organizations.Unreliable roads,unsuitable storage,inventory and warehouse management practices,and limited information sharing,are major contributor to stock outs of commodities,uncertain drug quality,and a general lack of confidence in the system.This lack of confidence further undermines the system,as programs see no alternative other than to manage their own individual supply chains.This fragmentation adds to the burden on the national system in the form of unnecessary,duplicative costs,lack of visibility,misallocation of resources,misalignment of supply and demand and general underperformance.