ArticleBMC health services research2024
Effectiveness of prime vendor system on availability of medicines and medical supplies in the selected public health facilities in Arusha district council.
Article in BMC health services research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- Access to essential medicines and vaccines among hard-to-reach populations in Tanzania: evidence from a cross-sectional study of artisanal miners, fisherfolk, and pastoralists.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2026Article
- National consumption of antimicrobials in Tanzania: 2020-2022.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThe shortage of medicines and medical supplies remains to be a major issue that is facing public health facilities in Tanzania. This situation has been influenced by lack of consistency in the supply chain, increase in healthcare demand, poor regulatory system, insufficient funds, and lack of conducive infrastructure. Formerly, the Government initiatives such as engagement with the Prime Vendor System (PVS) demonstrated great assistance in getting rid of this challenge. Despite the operation of PVS, a recent shortage of medicines and medical supplies has been noticed.
objectivesThis study aimed to assess the effectiveness of PVS on the availability of medicine and medical supplies in the selected public health facilities in Arusha District Council.
methodsThe study used a case study design with mixed research approach. The study involved 77 respondents which included 25 health facility in-charges, 50 patients, 1 District Pharmacist and 1 Prime Vendor. Questionnaires, interviews, and observation methods were used to collect data. Data collected covered a period of 2021-2022. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data whereas descriptive analysis was used to analyze the quantitative data with the help of Excel and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28.0.
resultsThe analysis indicates that PVS is not completely effective in supplying medicines and medical supplies due to its low capacity to conform to the orders placed by the public health facilities, a lack of supply competition, and a failure to adhere to contractual terms. Furthermore, at the time of data collection, the average availability of medicines and medical supplies at the selected public health facilities was 74.8%, while 80% of the selected public health facilities reported having a scarcity of medicines and medical supplies, and 92% of the interviewed patients reported having no full access to medicines.
conclusionDespite the shortcomings associated with the operation of the PVS, the system still seems to be very important for enhancing the availability of medicines and medical supplies once its effectiveness is strengthened. This study recommends a routine monitoring of PVS operations and timely interventions to reinforce an adherence to the contracted terms and improve PVS effectiveness.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.