The primary aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of using electronic pharmacy dispensing data extracted from RxSolution® for the surveillance of outpatient (ambulatory) antibiotic consumption and monitor antibiotic prescribing practices at district and provincial hospitals in public health facilities in North West Province, South Africa, between April 2013 and March 2015. This … Read more
An assessment of Namibia’s pharmaceutical system conducted in 2009 identified a number of capacity building challenges to be addressed to improve pharmaceutical services. These challenges included shortages of key staff, unmanageable workloads, and inadequate storage space for medicines. In response, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) identified several key mechanisms to address these challenges and strengthen the pharmaceutical sector including improving the functionality … Read more
By Harriet Kagoya, Senior M&E Advisor and Chipo Chirefu-Toto, Senior Finance and Operations Manager for the SIAPS Program Mr. George Lukonga is accustomed to dealing with 200 to 300 patients being treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) on a daily basis. Lukonga is the Senior Pharmacist Assistant at the Katima Mulilo Hospital in the Zambezi region … Read more
The Electronic Dispensing Tool Hastens ARV Dispensing in Namibia’s Public Health Facilities: Mr. George Lukonga’s Experience EDT in a Nutshell Capacitating Pharmacist Assistant Students in Using the EDT to Manage Stock of ARV Medicines and Dispense to ART Patients Improving Access to and the Availability of Essential Pharmaceutical Supplies for Health Extension Work in Namibia Training and Mentoring Improves the Efficiency of the Rundu Regional Medical … Read more
In this issue: Piloting Mobile Phone Messaging Services to Enhance Patient Adherence to Antiretroviral Treatment Information on Antiretroviral and Other Medicines Registered in Namibia Now Available on a Web-based Platform BLC Disburses a Capacity Development Grant to Tonata to Improve Service Delivery by the Network of PLHIV in Namibia Synergy with UNAM’s School of Medicine … Read more
In this issue: Namibia transitions to a once-a-day antiretroviral pill Pharmaceutical human resources development for the sustained provision of quality antiretroviral treatment at health facilities in Namibia Developing caregiver skills for the improved care and support of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) Monitoring site-level trends in HIV Drug Resistance Early Warning Indicators among children on … Read more
Katelyn Payne, SIAPS Project Associate, Greatjoy Mazibuko, SIAPS Senior Technical Advisor, and Bayobuya Phulu, SIAPS Senior Technical Advisor Conquering Geographic Barriers At the Nankudu District Hospital in the North Eastern part of Namibia’s Kavango region, nurses are busy preparing antiretroviral treatment (ART) medicine packs—just one of the many duties they have to ensure patients receive … Read more
In 2004 the MSH-implemented RPM Plus Program supported the MoHSS in carrying out a baseline assessment of pharmaceutical management information and monitoring systems in Namibia. The key objective of this assessment was to determine “the capacity of the local government to meet medicine and other health commodity needs in support of the launch and establishment … Read more
The primary objective of this signal strengthening activity was to estimate the frequency of substitution of NVP with a protease inhibitor (PI) during the period 2008 to 2011 and to determine if any increase detected was statistically significant. The incidence of NVP-related reactions of grade 3 and 4 increased with the implementation of Namibia’s 2010 … Read more
Before the implementation of MSH’s Electronic Dispensing Tool, pharmaceutical management and information systems in Ethiopia were poor at capturing, aggregating, and reporting data relevant for informing decision making. This was especially true at service delivery points. With the introduction of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in Ethiopia, it became clear that without an effective information system, it would … Read more
