Operation Research
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Justine F Nangu
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05 December 2025
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Challenges of Supply Chain for Essential Health Commodities in Tanzania: A Case of the Medical Stores Department’s Regional Headquarters
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Keywords:
Supply chain; essential medicine; health care facilities; challenges and MSD.
Abstract
focusing on the Medical Stores Department (MSD) Headquarters and the selected three zones, including Mwanza, Kilimanjaro, and Dar es Salaam. Secondary and primary data were used to assess the problem under study. Primary data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, which collected quantitative and qualitative data. The study's findings revealed that insufficient funds to procure medicines, public procurement regulations, inadequate automated systems to monitor demand variations, inadequate data quality from Health facilities, and a lack of an accountability structure have compromised the availability of essential medicines at MSD. It is recommended that the Government of Tanzania, through the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, explore the possibility of developing separate procurement guidelines with streamlined procedures for MSD to expedite the procurement of health commodities. Additionally, the Government should support local pharmaceutical manufacturing industries and provide financial assistance to industrial pharmacists to develop and expand their manufacturing facilities. Furthermore, the government should establish a system that ensures suppliers adhere to the contractual terms of procurement, with accountability structures in place for any deviations.
