Date post: | 05-Jan-2016 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | alisha-marsh |
View: | 214 times |
Download: | 0 times |
Improving Access to Essential Medicines
through Public-Private Initiatives:
The Case of the Catholic Pharmaceutical Service
in Ghana
Background Faith-Based organizations in Ghana
Provides 40% of all health services in Ghana Catholic Health Service, the largest body
provides 75% of mission sector health delivery Catholic Health Services
Delivered through 31 hospitals, 66 clinics & maternity homes, 4 drug supply depots,
Situated mostly in rural areas in 18 autonomous dioceses
Access problems identified Availability - drugs out of stock 35% of time Affordability - Nearly a fifth of daily wage
required to treat adult malaria in mission sector
Rational use - average of 5 items on a prescription
Project Objectives
Improve capacity of Catholic Pharmaceutical Service to achieve better pricing and more reliable supply service
Improve quality of prescribing and dispensing services by promoting the rational use of drugs
Key Interventions Advocacy to get buy-in and
consensus agreement on approaches for interventions
Baseline Survey on access dimensions of availability, affordability, quality of services
Re-engineered existing structures for pooled procurement system
Restricted competitive bidding as a means of procurement
Training in inventory management for facilities committed to pooled procurement
Interventions
Trained a team of 4 health professionals from each of 5 hospital on promoting RDU at health facility level using Drugs and Therapeutic Committees, in a ‘learn and do’ cyclic approach
Adapting training
Material – Local &
Int’l Experts
Selection of Facilities
and DTC team
Training( 2-days)
ImplementationAnd Follow-up
in Health Facility
(8 weeks)
Catholic Health Service DTC Design‘Learn & do’ Cyclic Approach
Key Milestones
Procurement of essential drugs by tender has been instituted. First Tender for 20 items yielded an
average of 20% savings on price
DTC established in five facilities Has specific mandate to promote
the rational use of drugs
Lessons Consensus building on implementation
approaches critical for success Prequalifying suppliers assures quality
of products supplied Procurement by tender provides
significant savings “Learn and do” cyclic approach to
delivering DTC training effective in imparting skills to overburdened health professionals
Implications1. Building Capacity and Structures
for sustainable implementation of Program
Maintenance, sustainability vrs staff attrition
Providing Technical Assistance vrs Capital Investments
Ownership of program and commitment of implementing partner
Implications2. Pooled Procurement Systems
Ability to enforce requirements of tender contracts
Supplier’s Delivery of Goods on schedule vrs Client’s Payment for Goods on time
Timely information flow for forecasting, procurement, payment and delivery decisions
3. DTC Program Training
Skill development vrs information dissemination
Credible Expert Trainers, local/international Providing support for institutional work
Future Studies
How to build capacity for sustainable implementation of programs
Ensuring equitable pricing of essential medicines
The effectiveness of DTCs as a vehicle for promoting RDU