scholarly journals Drug supply situation in Rwanda during COVID-19: issues, efforts and challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Theogene Uwizeyimana ◽  
Hashim Talib Hashim ◽  
Jean Damascene Kabakambira ◽  
Jean Claude Mujyarugamba ◽  
Jackson Dushime ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Market ◽  
Essential Medicines ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Drug Supply ◽  
Drug Shortage ◽  
Production And Distribution ◽  
Good Policy ◽  
Pharmaceutical Production ◽  
Health Commodities ◽  
The Impact

AbstractCOVID-19 is a threat to health systems around the world and Rwanda is not an exception. The impact of the pandemic is far-reaching and access to health commodities is not spared. Proper drug supply is critical for a robust healthcare system. It determines the extent at which the population are likely to have access to essential medicines and treatments. In Rwanda, the pharmaceutical sector heavily relies on imports. With the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic, the drug supply system was interrupted leaving many stores from small local pharmacies to the big medical stores running out of stock. The reasons were limited importation of goods from abroad, and the panic buying practice among the customers and some institutions when responding to the pandemic. Drug and medicines accessibility, availability and affordability should be the core of any drug management policy. It is with no doubt that, Rwanda has made a tremendous work to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 on the country’s drug supply; however, efforts are still needed to invest in local pharmaceutical production as a way to minimize import expenses in the country. Good policy on drug importation, production and distribution should be enforced to avoid any drug shortage that may be encountered in the Rwandan drug market.

scholarly journals Drug supply shortage in Nigeria during COVID-19: efforts and challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Faiva ◽  
Hashim Talib Hashim ◽  
Mustafa Ahmed Ramadhan ◽  
Shingin Kovona Musa ◽  
John Bchara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Essential Medicines ◽  
Global Supply Chains ◽  
Drug Supply ◽  
Local Production ◽  
Medical Products ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Regulatory Affairs ◽  
Poor Access ◽  
Health Commodities

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in massive disruptions in global supply chains. Nigeria is particularly vulnerable with respect to pharmaceuticals since there is reduced local production and about 70% of the drug supply is imported creating a huge supply–demand disparity particularly in times like COVID-19. Nigeria is in need of huge quantities of quality-assured health commodities to effectively respond to the pandemic. Significant shortages of other essential medicines and medical products across the country could be imminent. Drug scarcity in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic period is because of several accumulated factors, majorly as a result of global lockdown, decreased manufacturing, unaddressed regulatory affairs, poor access to resources by the population, lack of buffer stocks, security instability, and poor funding of the healthcare system. This situation if left unattended, could cause serious drawbacks to the health of the populace as well as the quality of life of Nigerians amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. Appropriate measures should be directed to ensure ethical processes on drug production, importation, pricing, and distribution to avoid such events during unavoidable scenarios, like the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health emergencies.

scholarly journals Assessment of Factors Contributing to Medicine Expiry in Rwanda: Case of the Medical Procurement and Production Division

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-291
Author(s):  
Theogene Hakuzimana ◽  
Pierre Claver Kayumba ◽  
Innocent Hahirwa ◽  
Max Kabalisa
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Essential Medicines ◽  
Hard Copy ◽  
Maternal Child Health ◽  
Drug Supply ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Health Commodities

BackgroundRegardless of the significant efforts used and put in place to enhance supply chain performance in Rwanda, there is still poor inventory management and big loss due to expiry of medicines at Medical Procurement and Production Division (MPPD).ObjectiveTo assess the factors that contributes to expiry of medicines at MPPD and formulate recommendations for the improvement of the current situation.MethodsThis is a descriptive cross-sectional study used for 25 respondents. A questionnaire containing closed-ended questions was used focusing on factors contributing to expiries of medicines for each product category managed by MPPD from 2014-2018. Additionally, the researcher reviewed all inventory reports, including expiries for the same period under study. The study focused on targeting respondents working at MPPD as pharmacists both technical and administrative, also other non-pharmacist working in the warehouse were considered as respondents. The hard copy of questionnaire was handed over to 26 respondents and requested to provide filled questionnaire within seven days. Twenty-five respondents were able to return the filled questionnaire on time, giving 96% response rate.ResultsThe study found that in MPPD, medicines are still expiring. During five years (from 2014 up to 2018) the total expired products were valued at RWF 6,046,778,655 for all program categories: HIV commodities had the largest share 53.3%, Essential Medicines 22.5%, Malaria 13%, Maternal Child Health commodities 5.7%, Products used for Community health workers 4.5%, TB products 1% and 0.1% for Family Planning products. The study found that major contributing factors for expiry of health commodities at MPPD, are ranked as follows: Supply chain management 90%, other factors 73%, Poor storage management 68% and Excessive drug supply 67%. ConclusionConsidering the study results, it looks like no significant effect of excessive drug supply and inventory management on the expiration of medicines at MPPD. However, the Supply Chain Management components are the most vulnerable to contribute to the expiration of medicines at MPPD. There are many changes to be done inside the institution to remedy the issue of expiration like working according to the standard operating procedures, improving the Skills of personnel in supply chain management, empowering the procurement unit with skilled personnel and improving the communication with stakeholders to facilitate the smooth and quick replenishment and distribution of the stock. Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2021;4(2): 281-291

scholarly journals Counterfeit Antimalarials and the Commodification of Health

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 5-18
Author(s):  
Stephanie Marciniak
Keyword(s):  
Artemisinin Combination Therapy ◽  
Drug Market ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Essential Medicines ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
Substandard Medicines ◽  
Daunting Task ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

Counterfeit and substandard medicines are a persistent threat to the global control and eradication of infectious diseases. The issue is particularly acute in developing countries due to the lack of local and international pharmaceutical surveillance networks that ultimately enables this industry to thrive . In this context, the inability to fulfill the fundamental right of individuals to access life-saving essential medicines is a critical public health challenge. Accordingly, this paper analyzes the crisis of counterfeit and substandard antimalarials in sub-Saharan Africa through a multidimensional framework. Of primary importance is the vulnerability of healthcare systems to market-driven forces which facilitates the emergence and sustainability of barriers in the access to high-quality antimalarials. Consequently, the proliferation of the informal drug market is contextualized by the dire need for affordable malaria treatment and cultural perceptions of the quality of care from formal sectors (e.g., clinics, hospitals). The impact of counterfeit antimalarials cannot be understated, ranging from increased morbidity, such as adverse effects from substandard product ingredients, to heightening the resistance of populations to the final line of antimalarial treatment (artemisinin-combination therapy). The ability of international humanitarian organizations and various levels of government to combat the issue of counterfeit medicines remains a daunting task, as the right to health has become a commodity.

The DUMA Drug Market Indicator Framework: methamphetamine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella Voce ◽  
Alexandra Voce
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Drug Market ◽  
Drug Markets ◽  
Drug Supply ◽  
Criminal Offending ◽  
Methamphetamine Use ◽  
Indicator Framework ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Market Indicator

In this paper, we introduce the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) Drug Market Indicator Framework. We use the framework to examine Australian trends in methamphetamine supply, demand and related harms between 2013 and 2019 to provide a baseline for measuring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were consistent increases in the prevalence, frequency and quantity of methamphetamine use, and corresponding increases in dependence, overdose and methamphetamine-related criminal offending. A brief but substantial decrease in methamphetamine availability occurred during 2017. Despite this, the methamphetamine market quickly recovered and continued to strengthen into 2019. This paper highlights the importance of monitoring indicators relating to drug supply, demand and harm to understand the dynamics of illicit drug markets during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

scholarly journals Effective Demand Forecasting in Health Supply Chains: Emerging Trend, Enablers, and Blockers

Logistics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Lakshmy Subramanian
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Demand Forecasting ◽  
Weak Links ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Weakest Link ◽  
Emerging Trends ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Health Commodities ◽  
The Impact

Health supply chains aim to improve access to healthcare, and this can be attained only when health commodities appropriate to the health needs of the global population are developed, manufactured, and made available when and where needed. The weak links in the health supply chains are hindering the access of essential healthcare resulting in inefficient use of scarce resources and loss of lives. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and demand forecasting is one of the weakest links of health supply chains. Also, many of the existing bottlenecks in supply chains and health systems impede the accurate forecasting of demand, and without the ability to forecast demand with certainty, the stakeholders cannot plan and make commitments for the future. Forecasts are an important feeder for budgeting and logistics planning. Under this backdrop, the study examines how improved forecasting can lead to better short-term and long-term access to health commodities and outlines market-related risks. It explores further how incentives are misaligned creating an uneven distribution of risks, leading to the inability to match demand and supply. For this purpose, a systematic literature review was performed, analyzing 71 articles from a descriptive and content approach. Findings indicate the emerging trends in global health and the consequences of inaccurate demand forecasting for health supply chains. The content analysis identifies key factors that can pose a varying degree of risks for the health supply chain stakeholders. The study highlights how the key factors emerge as enablers and blockers, depending on the impact on the overall health supply chains. The study also provides recommendations for actions for reducing these risks. Consequently, limitations of this work are presented, and opportunities are identified for future lines of research. Finally, the conclusion confirms that by adopting a combination of approaches, stakeholders can ensure better information sharing, identify avenues of diversifying risks, and understand the implications.

Impact of anti-cancer drugs shortages in oncology and hematology departments in a Moroccan hospital

2021 ◽  
pp. 107815522110082
Author(s):  
Ali Cherif Chefchaouni ◽  
Youssef Moutaouakkil ◽  
Badr Adouani ◽  
Yasmina Tadlaoui ◽  
Jamal Lamsaouri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Plan ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Cancer Drugs ◽  
Drug Shortage ◽  
Medical File ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Drug Shortages ◽  
Non Hodgkin Lymphoma ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
The Impact

Introduction Drug shortages have been a growing global problem in recent years. Some of them are of vital necessity and importance for the patient, such as those used to treat pathologies in clinical hematology and oncology departments. The objectives of this study are to determine the impact of anti-cancer drugs shortages on both: treatment and patient in the hematology and oncology departments, to describe the actions that have been put in place to manage the shortages and to survey patients about their perspectives and experiences. Materials and methods It was a prospective, observational study, it took place in the oncology and hematology departments. It was carried out with the help of an operating sheet, which contained two parts: patient and treatment data. This sheet was filled out after the interview with the patient and on the basis of the medical file. Results Of the 101 patients interviewed, 67.3% were impacted by the shortage of drugs. The treated pathology that was most impacted by the rupture was Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (55.8%), vincristine was the drug most responsible for the shortages (34%). Most patients (51.4%) went to a non-local pharmacy to buy the medicine that was in short supply in the hospital. Delayed care was the main impact of the drug shortage (42.6%). As a result of these shortages, the majority of patients (45.6%) were frustrated and anxious about the situation. Conclusion Drug shortages have a profound impact on patient safety, clinical outcomes, quality of treatment, hospital management and other important factors. In-depth collaboration between different health actors and timely communication strategies are essential elements of an effective drug shortage management plan.

Auras of Detection: Power and Knowledge in Drug Prohibition

2021 ◽  
pp. 009145092110354
Author(s):  
Jennifer J. Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Drug Market ◽  
Epistemic Authority ◽  
People Who Use Drugs ◽  
Drug Supply ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Drug Checking

Drug checking is an evidence-based strategy for overdose prevention that continues to operate (where it operates) in a legal “gray zone” due to the legal classification of some drug checking tools as drug paraphernalia—the purview of law enforcement, not public health. This article takes the emergence of fentanyl in the U.S. drug supply as a starting point for examining two closely related questions about drug checking and drug market expertise. First, how is the epistemic authority of law enforcement over the material realities of the drug market produced? Second, in the context of that authority, what are the socio-political implications of technologically advanced drug checking instruments in the hands of people who use drugs? The expertise that people who use drugs maintain about the nature of illicit drug market and how to navigate the illicit drug supply has long been discounted as untrustworthy, irrational, or otherwise invalid. Yet, increased access to drug checking tools has the potential to afford the knowledge produced by people who use drugs a technological validity it has never before enjoyed. In this article, I engage with theories of knowledge production and ontological standpoint from the field of science, technology, and society studies to examine how law enforcement produces and maintains epistemic authority over the illicit drug market and to explore how drug checking technologies enable new forms of knowledge production. I argue that drug checking be viewed as a form of social resistance against law enforcement’s epistemological authority and as a refuge against the harms produced by drug criminalization.

scholarly journals TRANSFORMATIONAL TRENDS AND INNOVATIVE FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL SECTORS OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL MARKET

2021 ◽  
pp. 27-35
Author(s):  
E. A. Bykova
Keyword(s):  
Pharmaceutical Industry ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
Pharmaceutical Market ◽  
Essential Medicines ◽  
Pharmaceutical Companies ◽  
Innovative Development ◽  
Market Participants ◽  
The Impact

The article discusses important features of trends in the transformation of the wholesale and retail level of the Russian medicinal market in the context of innovative factors in the development of the pharmaceutical industry in Russia. The paper gives a general assessment of the impact of state regulation of the maximum selling prices for medicines from the list of vital and essential medicines on the profitability of the market. The author presents a simplified institutional scheme of interaction between distributors and other market participants. The study discusses important aspects and tactical steps of the distribution and pharmacy level of the Russian pharmaceutical market. The article gives the ratings of the leading distribution pharmaceutical companies in Russia and analyses the peculiarities of their structural changes under the influence of innovative development factors. The paper gives ratings of leading pharmacy chains and analyses the features of new structural formations – associations. The author proposes the term of “polarization” for wholesale and retail companies.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document