Library Portal | UWC Portal | National ETDs | Global ETDs
    • Login
    Contact Us | About Us | FAQs | Login
    View Item 
    •   DSpace Home
    • Faculty of Community and Health Sciences
    • School of Public Health
    • Research Articles (SoPH)
    • View Item
    •   DSpace Home
    • Faculty of Community and Health Sciences
    • School of Public Health
    • Research Articles (SoPH)
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Inefficient procurement processes undermine access to medicines in the Western Cape Province of South Africa

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Magadzire_Ineficient-procurement_2017.pdf (89.53Kb)
    Date
    2017
    Author
    Magadzire, Bvudzai Priscilla
    Ward, Kim
    Leng, H.M.J.
    Sanders, David
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    BACKGROUND. South Africa (SA) has experienced several stock-outs of life-saving medicines for the treatment of major chronic infectious and non-communicable diseases in the public sector. OBJECTIVE. To identify the causes of stock-outs and to illustrate how they undermine access to medicines (ATM) in the Western Cape Province, SA. METHODS. This qualitative study was conducted with a sample of over 70 key informants (frontline health workers, sub-structure and provincial health service managers). We employed the critical incident technique to identify significant occurrences in our context, the consequences of which impacted on access to medicines during a defined period. Stock-outs were identified as one such incident, and we explored when, where and why they occurred, in order to inform policy and practice. RESULTS. Medicines procurement is a centralised function in SA. Health service managers unanimously agreed that stock-outs resulted from the following inefficiencies at the central level: (i) delays in awarding of pharmaceutical tenders; (ii) absence of contracts for certain medicines appearing on provincial code lists; and (iii) suppliers’ inability to satisfy contractual agreements. The recurrence of stock-outs had implications at multiple levels: (i) health facility operations; (ii) the Chronic Dispensing Unit (CDU), which prepacks medicines for over 300 000 public sector patients; and (iii) community-based medicines distribution systems, which deliver the CDU’s prepacked medicines to non-health facilities nearer to patient homes. For instance, stock-outs resulted in omission of certain medicines from CDU parcels that were delivered to health facilities. This increased workload and caused frustration for frontline health workers who were expected to dispense omitted medicines manually. According to frontline health workers, this translated into longer waiting times for patients and associated dissatisfaction. In some instances, patients were asked to return for undispensed medication at a later date, which could potentially affect adherence to treatment and therapeutic outcomes. Stock-outs therefore undermined the intended benefits of ATM strategies. Conclusion. Addressing the procurement challenges, most notably timeous tender awards and supplier performance management, is critical for successful implementation of ATM strategies.
    URI
    http://dx.doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2017.v107i7.11356
    http://hdl.handle.net/10566/4021
    Collections
    • Research Articles (SoPH)

    DSpace 6.3 | Ubuntu | Copyright © University of the Western Cape
    Contact Us | Send Feedback
    Theme by 
    Atmire NV
     

     

    Browse

    All of DSpaceCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    Login

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    DSpace 6.3 | Ubuntu | Copyright © University of the Western Cape
    Contact Us | Send Feedback
    Theme by 
    Atmire NV