Check the distribution of near-to-expire drugs
Aug 04, 2009
<b>Anthony Bugembe </b><br><br>AS part of efforts to ensure that drugs and other medical supplies do not expire before getting to the patients, National Medical Stores (NMS) came up with a policy of donating drugs left with a three-month shelf life to g
Anthony Bugembe
AS part of efforts to ensure that drugs and other medical supplies do not expire before getting to the patients, National Medical Stores (NMS) came up with a policy of donating drugs left with a three-month shelf life to government health facilities.
The advantage with this kind of arrangement for health facilities, is that they are not required to pay for those supplies unlike the normal requisitions.
I appreciate NMS’ role in procuring, storing and distributing medical supplies to all government health facilities. However, regarding the new policy on near-to-expire drugs, the key health decision makers like the health ministry, National Drug Authority (NDA) and NMS should work out a mechanism to ensure that such health supplies do not get to the health workers and patients after they have expired.
Although the health facilities solicit for these donations, there is no mechanism to ensure that the medical personnel respect their guarantee of using up the supplies before the expiry date. The same drugs could end up on the market, courtesy of some unscrupulous medical personnel.
In June, primary health care state minister James Kakooza, while visiting Lyantonde Hospital, was told that NMS had supplied expired and small-sized gloves. The minister expressed dismay at NMS’ action.
However, official communication reveals that Lyantonde Hospital’s medical superintendent applied for 47,500 pairs of size 6.5 surgical gloves from NMS in April. The said gloves were part of a batch that was to expire at the end of May. Although NMS delivered only 39,967 pairs to the hospital, they were still being used after the expiry date when the minister visited. On paper, the hospital had given assurance of using the gloves before expiry, but it could not do so. If the facilities cannot make good their promise, then it would be better not to release the drugs that are about to expire to them. Otherwise we shall be placing the lives of Ugandans on the line.
There is also need to address the issue of communication among the different health stakeholders.
The writer is a journalist
AS part of efforts to ensure that drugs and other medical supplies do not expire before getting to the patients, National Medical Stores (NMS) came up with a policy of donating drugs left with a three-month shelf life to government health facilities.
The advantage with this kind of arrangement for health facilities, is that they are not required to pay for those supplies unlike the normal requisitions.
I appreciate NMS’ role in procuring, storing and distributing medical supplies to all government health facilities. However, regarding the new policy on near-to-expire drugs, the key health decision makers like the health ministry, National Drug Authority (NDA) and NMS should work out a mechanism to ensure that such health supplies do not get to the health workers and patients after they have expired.
Although the health facilities solicit for these donations, there is no mechanism to ensure that the medical personnel respect their guarantee of using up the supplies before the expiry date. The same drugs could end up on the market, courtesy of some unscrupulous medical personnel.
In June, primary health care state minister James Kakooza, while visiting Lyantonde Hospital, was told that NMS had supplied expired and small-sized gloves. The minister expressed dismay at NMS’ action.
However, official communication reveals that Lyantonde Hospital’s medical superintendent applied for 47,500 pairs of size 6.5 surgical gloves from NMS in April. The said gloves were part of a batch that was to expire at the end of May. Although NMS delivered only 39,967 pairs to the hospital, they were still being used after the expiry date when the minister visited. On paper, the hospital had given assurance of using the gloves before expiry, but it could not do so. If the facilities cannot make good their promise, then it would be better not to release the drugs that are about to expire to them. Otherwise we shall be placing the lives of Ugandans on the line.
There is also need to address the issue of communication among the different health stakeholders.
The writer is a journalist