Health Facilities Supply Chain Management Core-Curriculum

Introduction

Tailored specifically for the global health industry, this supply chain management course addresses the distinct demands of the field. It is designed to accommodate the diverse roles undertaken by health workers across various levels of the health supply chain. Health workers will be taken through crucial topics such as customer-centric service, Logistics Management Information Systems, Storage and distribution, and inventory management. These topics are presented in a manner that is directly relevant to the responsibilities of the participants within the health system. The course ensures that learners acquire the necessary knowledge to comprehend the nature and context of their supply chain roles, empowering them to effectively fulfill their responsibilities at their respective levels.

Purpose 

The goal of this course is to address the specific demands of the public health supply chains, with content tailored to accommodate the health supply chain roles of health care workers at the facility level.

Expected Learning Outcomes

1. Explain the fundamental principles underlying a health logistics system and its role in ensuring the quality and safety of health products during the supply chain process.

2. Assess and articulate the significance of visual inspections in maintaining the integrity and safety of health products during the dispensing phase, identifying potential signs of damage, tampering, or expiration.

3. Demonstrate knowledge of proper storage techniques for health commodities at home and in health facilities to uphold their efficacy, and describe appropriate disposal methods for medicines or health products to prevent misuse and environmental hazards.

4. Apply inventory management concepts such as max-min principles to determine quantities for ordering health commodities and conduct stock status assessments, identify appropriate actions to minimize and manage wastage, and maintain consistent stock levels.

5. Illustrate the procedures involved in receiving health commodities, and arranging them in a store by following proper storage guidelines and handling techniques. Understand the significance of conducting physical counts, cycle counting, or comprehensive inventory checks and describe the process of issuing health commodities to various sections within a facility, to community health workers, for outreach, or redistribution purposes.

6. Demonstrate ability to fill and use Logistics Management Information System  (LMIS) tools related to the collection, reporting, and management of health commodities both manually and electronically.

7. Articulate the significance of capturing and utilizing data for supply chain decision-making, encompassing data collection, data management, data analytics, and data interpretation. Additionally, they will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to measure the performance of health supply chains at health facilities.