FACTORS AFFECTING COLD CHAIN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS AMONG HEALTH WORKERS IN VIRIKA HOSPITAL, KABAROLE DISTRICT. A CROSS–SECTIONAL OBSERVATION STUDY.

NASSON BALUKU; Mulodokayi Niwagiira

doi:10.51168/sjhrafrica.v4i9.531

Authors

NASSON BALUKU Kampala School of Health Sciences, P.O BOX 14263, Kampala.
Mulodokayi Niwagiira Kampala School of Health Sciences, P.O BOX 14263, Kampala.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v4i9.531

Keywords:

Cold chain, cold storage, inventory, stock out, stock control, room temperatures

Abstract

Background
The cold chain is a supply of temperature-sensitive products that include vaccines, insulin, chemotherapy drugs, and other treatments such as Oxytocin, therefore, millions of these products are produced, transported, stored, and distributed worldwide yet the cost of these products and controlled of temperature is essential in the healthcare industry. The research will help health workers to improve the storage practices of cold-chain pharmaceutical products. The general objective was to assess the cold chain storage practices of pharmaceutical products in Virika Hospital Kabarole district.
Methodology:
The study design employed was cross-sectional with a study sample of 36 respondents using structured and semi-structured questionnaires as a data collection tool, finally, the data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel.
Results
From the study findings, most respondents were nurses (77.7%), followed by clinicians (11.1%) and pharmacy technicians and pharmacists (5.6%).within the hospital there was an automated generator, and most of the respondents(94.4%) had connections to the automated generator and a few (5.6%) had no connections yet and the following factors were found out to be affecting cold chain medicines; unstable power supply to the hospital, time for the refrigerators being operative is limited and insufficient knowledge of some health workers (8.3%), about the accurate temperature under which the cold chain can be maintained.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the overall factors that affect cold chain medicines were not such pleasing though the health workers’ knowledge about cold chain practices was not alerting.
Recommendation
The hospital administration in touch with the Ministry of Health should conduct training in hospitals and health facilities that store or issue cold chain medicines to empower health workers with knowledge for the storage of cold chain medicines.