The Evaluation of Drug Supply Management in the MOH Facilities in the Dormaa District

Abstract

One of the components of the Primary Health Care concept is the provision of essential drugs. Drugs form an important part of any health care delivery system to the extent that most people in Ghana associate the quality of care to the availability of drugs. To help improve the quality of care provided by the Ministry of Health(MOH) facilities in the district, Dormaa District Health Management Team(DHMT) established a District Medical Stores(DMS) in 1996. The study was carried out to evaluate the drug supply activities at the DMS and to assess the availability of drugs at the Sub-district Health facilities. The research instruments employed for the study were administration of questionnaires, observation of facilities, equipment and activities and the review of stock records (secondary data). The facilities included in the study were the DMS and six MOH sub-district health facilities. Dormaa Ahenkro subdistrict was excluded from the study because it had no MOH facility. The drug supply activities were found not to be properly organized. Assessment of drug requirement were not based on any authentic rational information from the sub-district health facilities that patronize the DMS. Storage facilities and equipment were either not existing or in poor conditions. Air conditioner, refrigerator telephone facility, fire extinguisher, computer, pallets, preparation rooms and even an office were all not present. The inventory control records were properly kept even though they were not utilized to make procurement decisions. Drug availability at the sub-district health facility levels was not encouraging. At least three out of the sixteen marker drugs were absent from each of the subdistrict health facilities. Amasu Rural Clinic had as high as ten of the marker drugs absent from its store. Based on the study findings several recommendations were made to help improve drug supply activities and availability of essential drugs in MOH health facilities in the district. These included the following: * The sub-district health facilities should submit monthly drug consumption returns to the DMS to be used as the basis for the assessment of drug needs in the district. * Effort should be made to provide the store with all the equipment and facilities lacking so as to ensure efficient storage system * The DHMT should organize refresher courses and in-service training for the DMS staff and the heads of the sub-district health facilities on drug supply management.