Center for Health Market Innovations (CHMI)

Programs

ARV Procurement and Distribution Project

last updated May 11, 2012

Overview

Implementing organization: 
Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) Kenya
Implementation Partner(s): 
Ministry of Health
Legal Status: 
Public-private partnership
Year Launched: 
2004
Stage: 
Existing/expansion stage
Income Level of Target Population: 
All income levels

Funding

Primary Source of Funding: 
Donor
Additional Source(s) of Funding: 
Government
Funders: 
USAID

Technology

Technology Used: 
Unique ID (biometric/barcode scanner, etc.)
Technology Purpose: 
Improving Data Management › Data Organization/Analysis

Scale

Number of Clients Served: 
130,000 HIV/AIDS patients on on ARTs; 397 treatment sites in the country rely on MEDS supply chain mechanism for their ART needs; 1718 heath care workers had been trained (788 trained on ART, 425 on non ART health services, and 505 on strategic information)
Summary: 

The ARV Procurement and Distribution project procures ART commodities for the Kenya PEPFAR program. Through Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) Kenya, their core business is managing pharmaceutical supply chains in Kenya and the East & Central Africa region as well as training health care providers in all aspects of health care with a specific emphasis on rational use of drugs.

Program goals/rationale: 

The project's role is to procure the life saving ART commodities, warehouse them taking into consideration each products unique storage conditions as well as distribute the products to treatment sites in a timely and in the most cost effective manner. MEDS is also charged with the responsibility of ensuring the quality of the pharmaceutical products during procurement, warehousing as well as distribution. Similarly, MEDS was contracted by USAID for 2 years (2006 & 2007) to train treatment sites on ART and non-ART health services, as well as in strategic information.

Key program components: 

The key activities include:

Procurement: MEDS procures ARVs and OI drugs both from overseas and local manufacturers. The products are approved by USFDA for ARVs and other stringent regulatory mechanism for OI drugs; they are also registered in-country by the Ministry of Health’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board. This ensures that the drugs meet international quality standards. MEDS also carries out Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) inspections both locally and overseas and undertakes random quality control testing of products on receipt in the warehouse as well as on return samples from the health facilities. MEDS has an on site WHO pre-qualified quality control laboratory that carries out this analysis.

Warehousing: The project has between 3-6 months of stock in the warehouse at any given time to ensure that the country has sufficient buffer stocks.

Distribution: MEDS has an elaborate and wide distribution network that is able to reach facilities in every corner of Kenya.

Branding activities: To support the USAID’s branding activities; MEDS publishes a quarterly newsletter known as Partners in Action fighting HIV/AIDS Newsletter that has a wide circulation in the country and beyond. The newsletter focuses on thematic issues but with a specific emphasis on pharmaceutical supply chain issues, treatment updates, new research findings as well as current information and news that need to be passed on to partners. Other branding activities included branded medicine carrier bags as well as carton stickers mounted on medicine cartons.

The project has achieved the following:

  • More than 130,000 HIV/AIDS patients out of the 265,000 on ART receive their drugs from the MEDS supply chain mechanism. MEDS supply chain mechanism therefore takes care of about 50% of the current patients on ART.

  • By June 2009, ART commodities valued at $ 95,703,829.72 had been paced with manufacturers and out of this; commodities valued at $ 85,683,970.56 had been received in MEDS warehouses representing a 89.53% draw down.

  • Similarly, ART commodities valued at $ 86,873,825.44 had been distributed to treatment sites across the country. This figure includes ART commodities procured from other partners other than USAID.

  • 397 treatment sites in the country rely on MEDS supply chain mechanism for their ART needs.

  • Order turnaround time between order placement and delivery to the door steps has averaged 5 working days for the over 4 year contract period. The order fill rate has also averaged 98%.

  • In March 2009, MEDS quality control laboratory acquired WHO status making it the first faith based lab globally and the 4th in sub-Saharan Africa to acquire such status.

  • 5th editions of Partners in Action fighting HIV/AIDS Newsletter have been published with the 6th edition being in progress.

  • In January 2009, MEDS launched a bar-coding system ensures batch visibility, tracking, audit trail of all ART commodities. This will assist a great deal in the event of a drug recall.

  • By August 2007 a total of 1718 heath care workers had been trained. 788 health care workers were trained on ART, 425 on non ART health services and 505 on strategic information.

Program history: 

In March 2009, MEDS quality control laboratory acquired WHO status, making it the first faith based lab globally and the 4th in sub-Saharan Africa to acquire such status.

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