The Systems for Improving Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program Mozambique has been working with DFH and partners in the pharmaceutical sector and in priority health programs to assist pharmaceutical services in improving the availability of pharmaceutical products and appropriate use at the service delivery points with the aim of achieving desired health outcomes. SIAPS technically assists hospitals to create DTCs to improve medicine use, as well as the collection and analysis of medicine use information for decision-making as part of its support to its counterparts in the pharmaceutical sector.
In August 2013, SIAPS supported the DFH to conduct a two-day DTC orientation workshop. This orientation covered the DTC’s main functions, roles, and responsibilities, as well as how to monitor and identify medicine use problems, and to implement interventions and strategies, including use of standard treatment guidelines (STGs) and essential medicine list, to improve medicine use. During the workshop, the participants presented the status of their hospital DTC, and reviewed Mozambique’s current official DTC’s terms of reference (TOR) and made recommendations for additions and modifications. In addition, with SIAPS technical guidance, the participants conducted a brief study on prescribing indicators in a clinic in Maputo. The study found that more than 60% of patient encounters received an antibiotic. This orientation was attended by 49 health professionals, including physicians, pharmacists, dentists, laboratory technicians, and hospital administrators from the 11 hospital DTCs, the Ministry of Health (MOH), and nongovernmental organizations that support clinical services and supply chain operation.
