ArticleBMC health services research2023
Predictors of medicine redistribution at public healthcare facilities in King Cetshwayo District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Article in BMC health services research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Fortifying essential medicines supply chains in Sub-Saharan Africa - the curious cases of Kenya and Uganda.Global health action · 2026Review
- Supply Chain Vulnerabilities in First-Line Treatments for Sexually Transmitted Infections: Implications for U.S. Public Health Preparedness.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Comparison between model global AWaRe-based quality indicators and quality indicators developed to assess the appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing in primary healthcare in South Africa.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Factors affecting implementation of the medicine redistribution guidelines in Western Uganda.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Blockchain based solution for secure information sharing in pharma supply chain management.Heliyon · 2024Article
- Obstetric Emergency Supply Chain Dynamics and Information Flow Among Obstetric Emergency Supply Chain Employees: Key Informant Interview Study.JMIR formative research · 2024Article
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Abstract
backgroundEffective pharmaceutical inventory management is essential for optimizing healthcare outcomes and supply chain performance. However, challenges such as stockouts, overstocking, and wastage can hinder this process. This study examines the interrelationships between overstocking, stockouts, and wastage in eight healthcare facilities in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It also explores the extent of these challenges and investigates the use of medicine redistribution as a strategy to address inventory management issues.
methodsA retrospective quantitative analysis was conducted using pharmacy inventory records from public healthcare facilities. Eight facilities, including hospitals and a community healthcare center in King Cetshwayo District, were purposively sampled. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the association between medicine redistribution as the outcome and the predictors - stockouts, overstocking, and wastage. Pearson's correlation was utilized to evaluate associations between the predictors. Descriptive statistics were employed to quantify the levels and extent of overstocking, stockouts, and wastage related to expiry.
resultsThe study included eight healthcare facilities with pharmacy warehouses managed by pharmacists. A total of 392 medicines were analyzed (49 per facility). Stockouts affected 85.6% of medicines, while overstocking and expiry-related wastage impacted 50.6% and 15.2% of medicines, respectively. The most common stock-out medicines were salbutamol 200mcg inhalant (4.0%), paracetamol 500 mg tablets (3.5%), and azithromycin 500 mg tablets (3.3%). Overstocking, stock with short-dated expiry, and expired medicines explained 68% of redistribution transactions to other facilities (r² = 0.68). A moderate, statistically significant correlation was observed between overstocking and expiry-related wastage (r² = 0.47, p-value = 0.020). Stockouts had a weak correlation with redistribution, accounting for only 4.5% (p-value < 0.01). A weak correlation was found between stockouts and overstocking (r = 0.10), as well as between stockouts and expired medicines (r = -0.20).
conclusionThis study highlights significant challenges in inventory management, particularly regarding stockouts, overstocking, and expiry-related wastage in the evaluated healthcare facilities. Medicine redistribution emerged as a viable strategy to address these challenges. Improving inventory management practices and implementing targeted interventions are crucial for optimizing pharmaceutical supply chain performance and enhancing healthcare delivery outcomes in this setting.
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