ArticleBMC health services research2020
Medicine shortages and challenges with the procurement process among public sector hospitals in South Africa; findings and implications.
Article in BMC health services research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 62 papers.
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Who cites it
62 citing papers in PubMed.
- Sustainable procurement practices in sub-Saharan African health systems: a scoping review protocol.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Satisfaction with clinical practice environments among early-career health professionals in South Africa: findings from the WiSDOM cohort study.International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care · 2026Article
- Medicines governance and systemic constraints: A qualitative study among healthcare professionals in South Africa.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2026Article
- Healthcare workers' perspectives on patient bypassing of Primary Health Care facilities in Mpumalanga province, South Africa.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2026Article
- Drug stockouts and treatment delays in African health systems: impact on malaria morbidity and mortality.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2026Review
- Barriers and facilitators experienced by people with neurological disabilities: A South African health systems perspective.Journal of public health in Africa · 2026Article
- Geographical accessibility of cancer hospital using geospatial technology in Bagmati province, Nepal.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Supply chain management of health commodities and essential drug procurement systems at Sankhuwasabha and Kavrepalanchowk districts of federal Nepal.Journal of public health research · 2026Article
- Designing a management model for outsourcing non-clinical services in public hospitals in Iran.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Factors contributing to human and veterinary medicine shortages in developing countries: perspectives of suppliers and regulators in Namibia.Tropical medicine and health · 2025Article
- Determinants of Non-Adherence to Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment in a Public Primary Healthcare Clinic in South Africa: Improving the Quality of Long-Term Care.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Interventions to mitigate drug shortages in public health systems in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Limited resources in clinical facilities: Experiences of nursing students during placements.Curationis · 2025Article
- Exploring the gastric cancer care pathway in South Africa.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2025Article
- The impact of insufficient resources on the quality-of-service delivery at a primary healthcare clinic in Limpopo.Curationis · 2025Article
- The budget impact analysis of nicotine replacement therapy among patients who smoke tobacco and have mental illness in South Africa and the implications.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Integrated multi-month dispensing for HIV and hypertension in South Africa: A model of epidemiological impact and cost-effectiveness.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2025Article
- Community pharmacists' perceptions and experiences of medicine shortages in disruptive situations: a qualitative study.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2025Article
- Voluntary information and price sharing database - a scoping review of the pricing and procurement landscape across eight Commonwealth Member States.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2025Review
- Assessing patients' experience of care in four referral hospitals: a cross-sectional survey of outpatients in two South African rural provinces.BMC health services research · 2024Article
2 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundMedicine shortages are a complex global challenge affecting all countries. This includes South Africa where ongoing medicine shortages are a concern among public sector hospitals as South Africa strives for universal access to healthcare. The objectives of this research were to highlight challenges in the current pharmaceutical procurement process for public sector hospitals. Subsequently, suggest potential ways forward based on the findings as the authorities in South Africa seek to improve the procurement process.
methodQualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 pharmacy managers in public sector hospitals in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. A thematic content analysis was performed, with transcripts coded by two of the authors. Coding was discussed until consensus was reached. Categories were developed and grouped into themes.
resultsThe 'Procurement process' emerged from the data as the overarching theme, rooted in three main themes: (i) The buy-out process that was used to procure medicines from suppliers other than the contracted ones; (ii) Suppliers not performing thereby contributing to medicine shortages in the hospitals; and (iii) Challenges such as the inaccuracy of the electronic inventory management system used in the hospitals.
conclusionsEffective management of contracts of suppliers by the Provincial Department of Health is crucial to ensure accessibility and availability of essential medicines to all citizens of South Africa. Ongoing monitoring and support for the future use of computerised inventory management systems is important to reduce medicine shortages, and this is being followed up.
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