Poster Ref 21 Strengthening Drug and Therapeutic Committee

Poster Ref #-21 Strengthening Drug and Therapeutic Committee at Health Facility for Improvement of Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management and Pharmacy Service Dinkineh B 1, Habtamu S (MD)1, Seid A 1, Zinabie F 1, Alebel Y 1, Amsalu D 1, Regasa B 2 [1] Clinton Health Access Initiative [2] Federal Ministry of Health-Ethiopia BACKGROUND METHODS • DTC is one of the cross-cutting important platforms allowing all the relevant professionals to work together to improve health care delivery in health facilities through improving sustainable availability and the rational use of essential medicine at health facilities. • A baseline assessment conducted to set project targets followed with regular supportive supervision (SS) to strengthen program implementation focused on DTC. • More than 5, 200 Health Workers trained on DTC from about 1600 Health centers, Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency, Ministry of Health/Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Directorate, Regional Health Bureau and about 400 Woreda logistics officers to strengthen local support followed by bi-annual joint supportive supervision through CHAI field-based teams and regional government staffs. • DTC was appeared in high-income countries such as Australia, the USA and European countries about almost a century ago to deal with the problems of drug selection, procurement, distribution and use, and to address the continuing and emerging problems of Antimicrobial Resistance (WHO, Essential Drugs Monitor, No 32 (2003), Geneva 27, Switzerland). • In Ethiopia, DTC at hospital and health center has been considered as one of the important tool for strengthening the supply Cain management of essential medicines and rational use since 1980 th. In collaboration with government, Clinton Health Access Initiatives (CHAI) Ethiopia through its Child Survival Program/Essential Medicine has been working on strengthening DTC at selected health centers in four agrarian regions since Dec, 2015. The objective of this study was to examine status of DTC and its contributions to availability of essential medicines at CHAI intervention sites in Ethiopia • Technology supported/Telegram and phone call at remote follow up for implementation of identified gaps/written feedback during joint supportive supervision. • On average, about 370 Health Centers covered for baseline, endline and six rounds of assessment using Survey. CTO online data collection between Dec. 2015 and Mar. 2019 to track DTC and other project performance indicator status. • Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS Trend Analysis functional DTC at CHAI intervention Health Centers from SS 1 - SS 6 BLA ELA % of HCs with functional DTC Linear(% of HCs with functional DTC) 63% 57% 63% 90% 75% 69% 63% 11% 6% Facility head of the HC trained on DTC 36% 17% Indicator 1 st Round SS (Q 3 2 nd Round SS (Q 1 3 rd Round SS (Q 3 4 th Round SS (Q 1 5 th Round SS (Q 3 6 th Round SS (Q 1 2016) 405 HCs 2017) 394 HCs 2017) 384 HCs 2018) 395 HCs 2018) 364 HCs 2019) 349 HCs Key • BLA-Baseline Assessment • DTC- Drug and Therapeutic Committee • CHAI- Clinton Health Access Initiative s • ELA-Endline Assessment • EPSA- Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency • HC-Health Center • SS-Supportive Supervision • PMED- Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Directorate • DTC has a long history with great contributions for rational selection, quantification, procurement and use of essential medicines in health facilities around the glob. Functional Pearson Chi Non-functional # 198 237 % 80. 5% 62. 0% # 48 145 % 19. 5% 38. 0% # 223 245 % 90. 7% 64. 1% # % 23 9. 3% 137 35. 9% -Square p-value 23. 9 0. 000 55. 4 0. 000 • Ministry of Health: Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Directorate (PMED) • Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency (EPSA) and its branch offices found in the agrarian region • Regional Health Bureaus: Amhara, Oromia, Tigray and South Nationality People (SNNPR) • Implementing Partners working on Pharmaceutical Supply Chain and Pharmacy Service Intensive and continuous supportive supervision complimented with capacity building to key DTC is the key tool for improvement of health service quality as its mandate is inclusive to the overall health care system of health facility: clinical service, operational activities , implementation of other health facilities initiatives/reforms and efficient budget utilization. • DTC Established and Functional in the HC ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DTC members of Health facilities can end up with significant improvement of functional DTC • (#/%) Amoxicillin Dispersible tablet Yes 250 mg in stock on the day of visit No CONCLUSIONS • Pharmacy head of the HC trained on DTC Response Zinc Dispersible Yes tablet 20 mg in stock on the day of visit No 17% Functional DTC has a great contribution for strengthening the broader supply chain management system which eventually results in sustainable availability and rational use of essential medicines in health facilities. Contact: Dinkineh Bikila, dbikila@clintonhealthaccess. org