Supply Chain Management of Antiretroviral Drugs in Public Health Facilities in Eastern Ethiopia

Objective: Present study is aimed at assessing the supply chain management (SCM) of drugs in selected public health facilities in Dire Dawa City Administration, Harari Region and Jigjiga Zone in Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods: A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select the public health facilities from each of the corresponding study areas. Quantitative data were collected using both retrospective and prospective structured observational checklist and structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using EPI INFO Version 3.5.1 and SPSS version 16.0. Results: A total of 384 HIV/AIDS patients (47.9% males and 52.1% females) were included in the study from three hospitals and seven health centers with mean age of 32.8 years (SD ± 11.9 years). Ninety percent of the health facilities dispensed the ARV drugs to patients when they came for resupply within 1-3 months. Only thirty percent of the health facilities had received all the ordered quantities of ARV drugs. Zidovudine/ Lamivudine/Nevirapine, Tenofovir/Lamivudine/Efavirenz and Zidovudine/ Lamivudine/Efavirenz combinations were the most commonly prescribed ARV regimens with 31.9%, 19.8% and 15.1%, respectively. Patients who used substances such as khat, cigarette and alcohol along with the ARV drugs were 4.6 times more likely to miss their proper daily dose usage as compared to those who did not use (AOR = 4.619 [95% CI: 2.069-10.313]). Conclusions: The patients should adhere to the right dose at the right time but the health facilities sometimes received not all the quantities of ARV drugs that they have ordered. Zidovudine containing ARV regimen was the most commonly prescribed regimen.