Always, better control-vital, essential and non-essential matrix analysis of pharmaceuticals inventory management at selected public health facilities of Jimma zone southwest Ethiopia: facility based cross sectional study design

Abstract

Background: Always, better control (ABC)-vital, essential and non-essential (VEN) matrix analysis has a key role in assisting decisions making in medicine selection, purchasing and inventory management and hence help in reducing cost, identifying medicine use problems and improve efficiency in the pharmaceutical supply system. Studies on analysis of pharmaceuticals expenditures throughout the country were very limited, in Jimma zone no studies found yet. The objective of the study was, therefore, to analyze pharmaceuticals based on cost and criticality aspects and identify those which require stringent managerial control at selected public health facilities of Jimma zone Southwest Ethiopia. Methods: Health facility-based, cross-sectional, study design using a quantitative method in which ABC, VEN and ABC-VEN matrix analysis techniques were utilized to analyse pharmaceutical inventory management system at selected public health facilities of Jimma zone. Results: The ABC analysis shows that class A items accounted for 53 (15.3%), whereas class B and C items accounted for 72 (20.8%) and 221 (63.8%) number of items at selected public health facilities of Jimma zone. VEN analysis showed that 132 items (59.7%) were categorized as vital and consumes 61.4% ($248,372) of the annual pharmaceuticals expenditures (APE). Whereas, 55 items (24.8%) and 34 items (15.3%) were categorized under essential and less/non-essential with a total APE of 31.1% ($126,020) and 7.4% ($30,008) respectively.  From ABC-VEN matrix analysis, the majority of items were category I pharmaceuticals. Conclusions: Majority of items at a selected public health facility were category I and most of the category I pharmaceuticals, in turn, were Class A and V items which require great attention for their control and availability.