Evaluation of inventory management practices for Supply Chain Performance of Antibiotics in Rwanda

Abstract

Access to essential medicines is a universal human right and is vital for the success of any functioning health system. However, unreliable supply systems hinder the uninterrupted supply of life-saving medicines in developing countries, affecting the availability of life-saving antibiotics. This is a serious problem, given that medicines account for a large percentage of the healthcare budget, and the availability of antibiotics is vital to providing high-quality care for the control of infectious diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the contribution of inventory management practices to Supply Chain Performance of antibiotics in Rwanda

The study used descriptive, cross-sectional, and quantitative research design. The study population embraced 22 both public hospitals having Pharmacists and 30 Rwanda Medical Supply Ltd branches. The suitable method of data collection which has been used is the semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done in the Statistical Software Package for data analysis (SPSS) and exported in MS Excel for tables and graphs

The findings prevailed inventory management practices in 22 hospitals and 30 RMS Ltd branches include the use of inventory control techniques 81%, forecasting demand using consumption data 90%, stock-keeping records and reporting including data on stock on hand 98% and stock records which scored 97%. The reduced stock out rates 90% and reduced lead time scoring over 79% were found to be efficient among evaluated supply chain performance metrics. The challenges frequently affecting inventory management included inadequate training scoring 78%, poor record keeping with a score of 74%, and poor reporting which rated 71%.

Inventory management practices were performed in accordance to recommended best practices despite various challenges. The evaluated supply chain performance metrics were all found to be satisfactory owing to the high reduced stock out rates, reduced order lead time, reduced unusable to usable stock and increased reporting rates. Adoption of an electronic inventory system, staff capacity building, and supportive supervision on best use of inventory management tools are some strategies to improve inventory management.