The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has urged public hospitals to improve their medicine tracking, ordering, and inventory management. This call was made after a five-day conference in Naivasha, which brought together KEMSA officials, Ministry of Health representatives, pharmacists, and other health-sector stakeholders. The aim is to reduce stock-outs, expired supplies, and unnecessary public spending. KEMSA emphasized the need for hospitals to strengthen stock management and avoid ordering excess products that could expire and increase costs.
KEMSA chief executive Dr. Waqo Ejersa stated that the supply chain should be judged by whether hospitals receive the necessary products for patient care, not by the volume of purchases. He emphasized that performance must be reflected in reliable service delivery and patients' ability to access medicines when required. Dr. Ejersa advised hospitals to base orders on consumption records, existing stock, and anticipated demand, warning that poor planning fuels shortages, excess inventory, and avoidable spending.
Dr. Ejersa also called for hospital managers to involve pharmacists in supply decisions, including demand forecasting, inventory control, and resource allocation. This, he believes, will help improve the management of medicines and reduce waste. The involvement of pharmacists in supply decisions is expected to bring a higher level of expertise and accuracy to the process.
Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr. Ouma Oluga noted that procuring medicines alone does not guarantee their availability. He stressed the need for planning based on actual patient and facility needs. Dr. Oluga urged pharmacists to help determine required products, quantities, and delivery timing, using consumption data to guide decisions.
Dr. Oluga also called for better forecasting, inventory management, and accountability throughout the procurement-distribution chain. This, he believes, will help reduce stock-outs and expired supplies, and ensure that patients have access to the medicines they need. The Ministry of Health and KEMSA are working together to improve the management of medicines in public hospitals.
The five-day conference in Naivasha brought together various stakeholders in the health sector to discuss the challenges facing the management of medicines in public hospitals. The conference provided a platform for KEMSA officials, Ministry of Health representatives, pharmacists, and other health-sector stakeholders to share experiences and best practices in medicine management.
The implementation of the recommendations made at the conference is expected to improve the management of medicines in public hospitals, reducing stock-outs and expired supplies, and ensuring that patients have access to the medicines they need. KEMSA and the Ministry of Health are committed to working together to improve the health sector in Kenya.
Key points
- KEMSA urges hospitals to improve medicine tracking and ordering to reduce stock-outs and expired supplies.
- Involving pharmacists in supply decisions is expected to improve medicine management and reduce waste.
- Better forecasting, inventory management, and accountability are needed throughout the procurement-distribution chain.
