Vol 9, Issue 3, 2021 ISSN - 2347-5536 INVENTORY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF PHARMACEUTICALS IN PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTIONS OF DESSIE CITY ADMINISTRATION, ETHIOPIA: A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY EWUNETIE MEKASHAW BAYKED*, MESFIN HAILE KAHISSAY, BIRHANU DEMEKE WORKNEH Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia. Email: ewunetie.mekashaw@wu.edu.et Received: 20 May 2021, Revised and Accepted: 16 June 2021 ABSTRACT Objective: This study was conducted to assess inventory management practices of pharmaceuticals in public health institutions of Dessie City Administration, Ethiopia. Methods: The research was conducted from February 5, 2019, to February 24, 2019, in 10 health facilities with a descriptive cross-sectional study using observation checklists. Results: Receipts, issues, losses, and adjustments were correctly recorded in seven stores. Invoices and bin cards were available in all stores. Logistic management and information system, Internal Facility Report and Resupply, and Report and Requisition Form were available in nine stores. Five stores had stock cards, but only three recorded prices correctly. The maximum, minimum, reorder, and buffer stock levels were not properly maintained (or automated). All stores had freezers but wall thermometers and lockable cabinets were absent in eight stores; seven did not use first expired, first out storage technique. Humidity and fire control mechanisms were absent in all and seven institutions, respectively. Nine institutions lack fireproof areas for combustibles, but eight stores held them with drugs. Conclusion: The inventory management practices of the institutions were not satisfactory. It is recommended that the health facilities should comply with standard operating procedures. Keywords: Inventory management, Inventory records, Store management, Pharmaceuticals, Public health institutions. INTRODUCTION Inventory management is among the most common factors affecting pharmaceuticals supply network [1]. It is all about ordering, receiving, storing, issuing, and reordering items. It hosts storage, distribution [2], and accurate record-keeping [2-4]. It is an endless struggle [5]. Inventory control and recording are inseparable [3,4]. Common inventory recording and documentation formats are Internal Facility Report and Resupply Form (IFRR) and Report and Requisition Form (RRF) [3], Bin card (BC), and Stock record card (SRC) [2-4]. These records provide information on inventory receipts, issues, losses, orders, balances, suppliers, customers, and prices. They provide information for planning distribution and quantification [4]. Inventory control also hosts a good store management strategy [3,4,6,7]. Maintenance of appropriate storage conditions for pharmaceuticals is essential to assure quality [8] if assisted by quality audit [9]. Pharmaceuticals should be protected from sun, heat, and water [3,4,6,7]. They should always be kept in the first-to-expire, first-out (FEFO) procedure [10], and stored at their temperature requirement, and in humidity not more than 60% [6,11]. Medicines shortage crisis not only increased financial losses but also jeopardizes patients’ health [12,13] through interrupted access to medicines [14], and fluctuations of stocks [15], that is, harms patient safety [16]. Stock fluctuations in Ethiopia are about 60% [17] due to inaccurate inventory records [18,19]. Expiry and stock-out of vital medicines are substantial [17]. The poor inventory control system is the main reason for wastage and shortage of essential medicines [20,21] due to stock-outs [22]. Efficient and effective inventory management is the determinant factor for healthcare success [23,24]. However, in sub- Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia, stock-outs are the major cause of health-care service interruptions [25]. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess inventory management practices of pharmaceuticals in public health institutions of Dessie City Administration, Ethiopia. METHODS Study area and design The study was conducted in Dessie City Administration, Ethiopia, from February 5, 2019, to February 24, 2019. Dessie is an administrative city in Amhara regional state. The city was selected for the study because it is the largest urban center in Northeast Ethiopia [26]. There are various private and public health institutions (two public hospitals and eight public health centers) in Dessie. Most of the populations, especially those who are at a low socioeconomic level, were being served in public institutions. Thus, all the public health centers and hospitals were included; whereas, the private institutions were excluded from the study. The research used a descriptive cross-sectional study design. Data collection and analysis The data were collected using an observation checklist questionnaire, which was extracted and modified from the standard operating procedure (SOP) manual for the integrated pharmaceutical logistics system in health facilities of Ethiopia, 2 nd Edition [3] and SOPs for pharmaceuticals good distribution and storage practices [6], at the central stores of all institutions through direct observation and analysis of inventory transaction indicators from records, inventory record forms, and models, recording status, storage organization and arrangement, furnishing, and functionality of quality control tools in the Research Article © 2021 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22159/ijhs.2021v9i3.42133. Journal homepage: https://innovareacademics.in/journals/index.php/ijhs