Section outline

    • This module focuses on ensuring health workers understand the benefits of ensuring products are always in stock and the risks associated with stockouts and actively monitoring the quality of medicines throughout the dispensing process, ensuring that clients receive products of the highest standard. It aims to empower clients with essential guidance on proper storage practices for medications at home, thereby preserving their efficacy and safety. Additionally, this module emphasizes educating patients on the appropriate management of leftover or unused medicines to prevent misuse and promote responsible disposal. In situations where specific products might be unavailable, the module aims to maintain consistent stock levels or offer suitable alternatives to fulfill the client's needs effectively. It prioritizes quality counseling, providing comprehensive guidance to clients on basic medication usage and the importance of completing prescribed doses for optimal health outcomes.

      Purpose

      This module is purposefully designed to cultivate essential competencies in:

      1. Articulate the importance of serving clients effectively by ensuring continuous stock availability and minimizing stockouts to gain trust, save lives, and maximize health outcomes (six rights)

      2. Recognizing the linkage between effective supply chain management and the direct impact on service quality provided to clients.

      3. Responsible for handling and management of medications used and leftover medications, encompassing knowledge of proper usage, storage, and disposal methods to prevent misuse.

      4. Executing best practices in dispensing, integrating supply chain efficiency with service quality for enhanced client experiences.

      5. Guidance and counseling to clients on appropriate medication usage, dosages, and adherence for improved health outcomes.

      6. Client interaction skills, such as empathy, enable health workers to establish rapport and effective communication while addressing client needs.

      Expected Learning Outcomes

      By the end of this module, you will be able to: 

      1. Appreciate the importance of continuous stock availability and minimizing stockouts in health supply chain management, directly impacting client trust, life-saving efforts, and health outcomes.

      2. Recognize the critical link between efficient supply chain management and the quality of services provided to clients, 

      3. Articulate the essential components and operational functions of the health logistics system.

      4. Highlight the role of visual inspection in ensuring the integrity and safety of health commodities throughout the dispensing process.

      5. Perform visual inspections of health commodities, proficiently identifying indications of damage, tampering, or expiration.

      6. Describe essential storage techniques crucial for preserving the effectiveness of health commodities at home, ensuring their efficacy and safety.

      7. Detail the appropriate protocols for the safe and responsible disposal of medications and health products at home, mitigating risks associated with misuse and environmental harm.

      8. Implement effective strategies to maintain consistent stock availability, catering to clients' requirements, or offering viable alternatives in situations where specific products are unavailable or scarce.

      The content of this module will focus on Basic Logistics: Introduction to Health Logistics Principles: Understanding the foundational concepts and fundamental elements of supply chain management, including recording and reporting, inventory control, storage and distribution strategies, and performance monitoring and management within health systems; Visual Inspection of Health Products during Dispensing:  Highlighting the significance of visual inspection in ensuring the quality and safety of health products during the dispensing process. Training on practical methods and techniques for conducting thorough visual inspections. Storage of Health Commodities in Homes: Providing guidelines and best practices and practical tips for the safe and effective storage of health commodities within domestic settings, emphasizing temperature control, humidity, and proper storage containers to maintain efficacy and family safety; Safe Practices for Home Disposal of Medicines: Educating on safe and environmentally friendly practices for disposing of medicines and health products at home, emphasizing the avoidance of environmental contamination and minimizing risks of misuse. Respectful Pharmacy Practices Linking Supply Chain and Customer Service: Exploring the correlation between efficient supply chain practices and customer-centric service delivery in health facilities and pharmacies. Fostering respectful and quality interactions that meet clients' needs while ensuring optimal supply chain management.

      Click on the blue links below to begin your learning!

    • Course Summary

      Congratulations! You have come to the end of this training! You are now in a position to appreciate the importance of continuous stock availability and minimizing stockouts in health supply chain management, directly impacting client trust, life-saving efforts, and health outcomes. You can recognize the critical link between efficient supply chain management and the quality of services provided to clients, and articulate the essential components and operational functions of the health logistics system.

      You can now highlight the role of visual inspection in ensuring the integrity and safety of health commodities throughout the dispensing process, as well as perform visual inspections of health commodities, proficiently identifying indications of damage, tampering, or expiration.

      You can now describe essential storage techniques crucial for preserving the effectiveness of health commodities at home, ensuring their efficacy and safety, and also detail the appropriate protocols for the safe and responsible disposal of medications and health products at home, mitigating risks associated with misuse and environmental harm, and implement effective strategies to maintain consistent stock availability, catering to the clients' requirements, or offering viable alternatives in situations where specific products are unavailable or scarce.