A key component of achieving control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is effective supply chain management of preventive chemotherapy drugs for Mass Drug Administration (MDA) for trachoma, river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis. This course explains the end-to-end process from planning and submitting donated drug requests through to waste management of expired and unserviceable stock and reverse logistics of unused tablets. It is essential knowledge for all levels of the health system that must work together to implement MDA.
Photo: WHO/ Y. Shimizu
Language: English
Health topic
Course information
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Overview: In the context of MDA, supply chain management is a key determinant of success for campaigns. In addition to ensuring delivery in full, on time and to the right quality, preventive chemotherapy (PC) drugs for NTDs requires advance planning, coordination, responsibility and accountability at all levels of the health system – before, during, and after MDA. Therefore, for responsible and successful MDA, WHO recommends a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) developed by ESPEN with support from ministry of health national NTD programs, NTD supply chain forum partners, implementing partners and donors. Health workers are exposed to many different supply chain risks to NTD medicines management. These include: inaccurate data and records, insufficient stocks/stockouts, logistical delays, inappropriate storage, expired, damaged or contaminated stock, accountability issues for example. The target audience for this course are NTD program staff, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, health officers, central medical stores and health facility staff, community health workers and MDA supervisors who take part in the handling of PC-NTD Medicines for MDA.
Learning objectives : By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Describe the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for supply chain management of PC-NTD drugs that are recommended for implementing MDA campaigns;
- Describe the roles and responsibilities for PC-NTD drug supply chain management;
- Describe how to apply the recommended measures for managing PC-NTD drugs and actively propose improvements in your context; and
- Adapt to your context, dissemination and use SOPs for MDA implementation.
Course duration: Approximately 5 hours. Those engaging in face-to-face (F2F) training sessions should estimate approximately 14 hours for that.
Certificates: A Record of Achievement certificate will be available to participants who score at least 80% in the final assessment. Participants who receive a Record of Achievement can also download an Open Badge for this course. Click here to learn how.
Course contents
Introduction:
This introductory module gives an overview of NTD medicines’ supply chain management for NTD programmess. This course includes face-to-face materials for classroom training (the facilitators’ guides) and e-learning online module (available online via this OpenWHO platform). The content is based on the set of 11 SOPs for supply chain management of health products for NTDs. The training package also includes one-page job aids for District and Community levels.Module 1: Joint Application Package (JAP):
● Part 1 - By the end of this part, you should be able to: explain how preventive chemotherapy (PC) NTD drugs are requested; describe what forms and reports are required; and describe the steps that the NTD program must take to prepare and submit drug donation requests. ● Part 2 - Forecasting and quantification of NTD drugs. By the end of this part, you should be able to: identify the five preventive chemotherapy (PC) NTD drugs eligible for donation to endemic countries; describe the key steps and responsibilities to accurately estimate the need for PC-NTD drugs, as required to reach target population and coverage in the country, for the year of request.Module 2: Shipping Notification, Contact List and Green Light for NTD Drugs:
● Part 1 - Shipping notification and green light for NTD drugs. By the end of this part, you should be able to: identify the key requirements and documents for the shipment of preventive chemotherapy (PC) NTD drugs, from the donor’s production plant or warehouse to the country’s port of entry (POE) or central medical store (CMS). ● Part 2 - Customs clearance and delivery of NTD drugs. By the end of this part you should be able to: describe the key steps and responsibilities for releasing preventive chemotherapy (PC) NTD drugsModule 3: Inventory Management of NTD Donated Drugs :
● Part 1 - Inventory management of NTD drugs. By the end of this part, you should be able to: describe how to manage physical stock of preventive chemotherapy (PC) NTD drugs when received, stored, transferred, near expiration, or disposed of; and describe how and when to conduct physical inspection, counting, and maintaining stock records. ● Part 2 – Storage of NTD drugs. By the end of this part, you should be able to: describe how to prepare for, receive, inspect, stack, and monitor physical stocks of preventive chemotherapy (PC) NTD drugs at medical stores and health facilities. ● Part 3 – First Expiry, First Out (FEFO) policy. By the end of this part, you should be able to: describe the recommended method to minimize the risk of wastage due to expiry.Module 4. Transport of NTD drugs:
● Part 1 – Transport of NTD drugs. By the end of this part, you should be able to: describe the process of moving physical stocks of preventive chemotherapy (PC) NTD drugs through the different levels of the health system to the points of treatment before MDA. ● Part 2 – Reverse logistics of NTD drugs. At the end of this part, you should be able to: describe the process for retrieving leftover stocks of preventive chemotherapy (PC) NTD drugs from points of treatment after MDA.Module 5: Removing Expired and Unserviceable Drugs from stock:
● Part 1 - Removing expired and unserviceable NTD drugs. By the end of this part, you should be able to: identify what are unusable stocks; describe the key steps and responsibilities taken as precautions and control measures to identify and prevent distribution. ● Part 2 – Waste management of NTD drugs. By the end of this part, you should be able to: describe methods for disposing expired and unserviceable NTD drugs; and identify key stakeholders involved in coordinating and ensuring safe and proper disposal takes place.End of course
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Certificate Requirements
- Gain a Record of Achievement by earning at least 80% of the maximum number of points from all graded assignments.
- Gain an Open Badge by completing the course.