| dc.description.abstract | The objective of the study was to establish the influence of inventory controls on the availability
of essential medicines and medical supplies in HCIVs of Wakiso district. This is comes after
realizing gaps in availability of essential medicines and medical supplies. Findings of the study
will be critical in drawing interventions and also acting as an addition to existing studies.
A cross sectional study design with both quantitative and qualitative approaches of data
collection was used and study design was considered suitable for this study because of its ability
to consolidate information on each variable of study at a single point in time without necessarily
the need of any follow up of data collection. A census was considered as a sampling criterion
where all the seven HCIVs in Wakiso district were reached. Questionnaires were made; data
collected by the researcher and entered into EPIDATA before exporting to SPSS version 21 for
analysis. Bivariate analysis was conducted to determine relationships between inventory control
variables against the dependent variable (availability of essential medicines and medical
supplies). A Chi-square p-value of <0.05 with CI at 95% was considered to show associations
between the dependent and independent variables.
Accuracy of stock card data among factors of aaccurateness of store record keeping practices
significantly (p=0.021) influences availability of essential medicines and medical supplies. When
stock cards are not accurately filled, there are high chances of a health facility missing out on
tracking stock which eventually translates to stock outs at a given point in time point.
Among appropriateness factors that influence availability of essential medicines and medical
supplies, storage conditions and storage systems and practices play significant role (p=0.048 and
p=0.044 respectively). An assessment of these relationships for the two factors showed that
majority of health facilities that had experienced shortages in essential medicines and medical
supplies in the last 5 months did not have appropriate storage conditions in regard to
management of minimal temperatures required for maintenance of medicines. On the side of
storage systems and practices, medicines were not arranged with identification labels, there were
no separate lockable cupboards while expiries were not clear.
Requisitioning factors in the study significantly influenced availability of essential medicines
and medical supplies. These include the Time orders are made (p=0.030), Requisition Records
(p=0.031), Quantity of what is ordered (p=0.021) and frequency of making orders (p=0.001). All
the factors are strong players in determining availability of essential medicines and medical
supplies. Untimely practices of making orders, limitations in requisition records management for
tracking purposes exposes facilities to shortages in essential medicines and medical supplies.
Similarly, facilities that do not accurately calculate quantities ordered and also take long to place
orders are bound to experience stock.
There is need to generally draw interventions to adherence to good practices of accuracy of
record keeping, quantity count, prompt and frequent requisitioning and observation of other
management systems such as good storage conditions. Health facilities should be trained on
importance of these practices if stock outs are to be minimized in Wakiso district. | en_US |
