This year’s National Annual Review led by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health (MoH) brought together more than 850 health professionals from across the country to discuss the way forward in public health for the coming year. The MoH identified eight priority areas, one of them being SIAPS/Ethiopia’s transformative APTS system—the first time a pharmacy area was selected as part of the annual review meeting agenda.
APTS is a package of data-driven interventions that ultimately result in a continuous supply of essential medicines, optimal budget utilization, and improved pharmacy services. Piloted in a hospital in the rugged highlands of northern Ethiopia, APTS underwent rigorous testing in a number of health facilities with groundbreaking results. These results included significant improvements in:
- The culture of dispensing practice being delivered through highly congested windows
- Drug financing, minimizing stock out and wastage of medicines
- Patient, product and finance related information
- Pharmacy workforce deployment and development
- Customer service satisfaction
APTS is now legislated for implementation nationwide in all public health facilities. At the annual meeting, Ethiopia’s Minister of Health said, “I am impressed by the implementation of APTS that I observed firsthand at the Legehare Health Center. APTS will be replicated at all public health facilities in collaboration with the regional health bureaus. The MoH recognizes the impact-oriented support of MSH. The Ministry will be focusing on APTS implementation across all the regions.”
