Skip to main content

Pharmaceutical Drugs Supply Chain in the Independent Healthcare Sub-sector in Uganda



Pharmaceutical Drugs Supply Chain in the Independent Healthcare Sub-sector in Uganda

Private-for-profit health facilities (Independent Healthcare) are limited to the urban areas. Some private clinics also dispense drugs. There is no clear distinction between a private clinic and a private hospital. Patients seeking treatment in the private sector purchase drugs primarily from retail pharmacies which are again concentrated in urban areas and very few in the rural areas. In addition to registered pharmacies, drugs are also sold in drug stores as over-the- counter (OTC) medicines. There is also a small market for drugs that are sold in non-fixed structure stores that are located either in far flung rural areas or in the shanty compounds neighboring urban centers.

Between 40-60% of the health care provided in Uganda is obtained in the private sector. The structure of the private sector supply chain is similar to that observed in most Developing countries with a few large importers and wholesalers bringing in drugs from international manufacturers or suppliers and selling them to retail pharmacies or drug outlets. In Uganda all wholesalers, importers and retail pharmacies must be registered with the National Drug Authority (NDA). 

There are many companies that engage in the business of importing drugs into the country. Around 70-90% of these are wholesalers based in Kampala who also import pharmaceutical products into Uganda. The remaining 10-30% are based in other urban centers of the country. The importers/wholesalers make deliveries to retail pharmacies and private hospitals in the urban centers. For such deliveries they bear the transportation costs and some of them have their own vehicular fleets. Private hospitals and drug stores from smaller towns come to Kampala to buy drugs from the private importers/wholesalers.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guidelines for Private Ambulance Services

  Guidelines for Private Ambulance Services Introduction In Uganda, it has increasingly become popular for politicians and other people to donate ambulances to their people. Some health officials have been concerned of politicians donating to their constituencies ambulances they have termed as sometimes substandard. Ambulances are not ordinary cars. An ambulance is not the word on top, but it's the service and content inside that vehicle, an ambulance must have life-supporting machines, provisions for blood transfusion, oxygen, fluids and a driver with defensive driving skills so that the life of a patient is sustained while on transit to a health facility. Besides, even most private health centers have been purchasing and installing ambulances in their facilities without following the recommended guidelines for this emergency field of medicine. These guidelines are for implementation by any private sector organization or institute, operating or intending to op...
1 comment
Read more

Private Health Insurance Guidelines

Private Health Insurance Guidelines Private Health Insurance is currently widely used by both formal and informal sector in Uganda, given its potential to improve access to healthcare, most people who purchase private health insurance find that they get good service from their health fund and have no problems when they need to use or claim on their insurance. However a percentage of subscribers find health insurance problems and Uganda National Association of Private Hospitals (UNAPH) receives inquiries and complaints almost every three months which has prompted us to advise a list of tips to help avoid problems with private health insurance. 1. Keep your Premium Payments up-to-date It is your responsibility to make sure that your premium payments are up to date and you remain financial with your health fund. Most funds require you to pay your premiums in advance. They will normally allow some leeway if you fall behind in your payments by up to a few weeks. However, f...
3 comments
Read more

Why Patients Choose Private Hospitals and Private Clinics in Uganda

Why Patients Choose Private Hospitals and Private Clinics in Uganda The demand of health services in private hospitals and clinics is increasing because of the certain amenities and facilities that are provided by these institutions . Patients can ch oose a hospital according to what matters most to them, whether it’s location, cost consideration, infrastructure availability, suggestion from friends, referred by doctors, etc.   It is well known that even the abjectly poor in Uganda show marked preferences for private services compared to public offerings. Past research has attributed these preferences to a lack of public provider accountability, which can be observed in terms of provider attitude. As such with the rapidexpansion of population and shortages of healthcare facilities in governments’ hospitals, private hospitals in the society have been playing a vital role. One of the main objectives of hospital is to provide adequate care and treatment of its patients. I...
Post a Comment
Read more