PROCUREMENT AND STORAGE OF DRUGS

There has been a general countrywide concern about people dying of treatable diseases such as malaria arising from patients’ failure to access drugs in public health facilities while drugs worth billions of shillings remain expired in NMS facilities, stores of Referral Hospitals, District health Offices and health units.

An audit was conducted on National Medical Stores (NMS) which is mandated by the National Medical Stores Act (chapter 207) Laws of Uganda to ensure continuous distribution of pharmaceutical products in a financially viable and sustainable manner to meet the needs of public health services in the country.

The overall objective of the audit was to assess the operations of National Medical Stores in the areas of procurement and storage with a view of recommending improvements where there are problems.