Health facility related factors contributing to poor inventory management of medicine at Soroti Regional referral hospital, Soroti district. A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background:

Poor inventory management of medicines is one of the challenges faced in Uganda and other countries. The aim of the study is to assess the health facility related factors contributing to poor inventory management of medicine at Soroti Regional referral hospital, Soroti district.

Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study in which 50 respondents were selected using Purposive sampling technique Data was analysed manually by use of tally sheets, processed and analyzed using simple electronic computer to compute frequencies and percentages.

Results: Most (46%) of the respondents were married 34% were single, 8% were divorced and (12%) were widow/widower. All the respondents agreed that the pharmacy store was large enough to accommodate all the drugs they were supposed to have at the same time and free from harmful insects and rodents. Majority (68%) of the respondents said drugs were dispensed from the shelves whereas the least (32%) of the respondents said drugs were dispensed from boxes from which they were supplied from. (54%) of the respondents dispensed drugs in accordance to FIFO, FEFO, and LILO whereas least (46%) of the respondents didn’t. (72%) of the respondents didn’t arrange drugs in accordance to either ABC or according to pharmacological classes. 

Conclusion

The health facility related factors contributing to poor inventory management were dispensing drugs from boxes from which they were supplied, not dispensing drugs in accordance to FIFO (First expiry- first out), FEFO and LILO and failure to arrange drugs in accordance to either ABC Analysis or according to pharmacological classes.

Recommendation

The administration of Soroti Regional Referral Hospital through the human resource manager should recruit highly trained, competent and qualified health workers in the pharmacy department.