Procurement and Supply Management

The  PSM unit was established in NMCP in  September  2007, manned by pharmacists/logisticians and  richly supported by relevant PSM consultants. 

The  unit’s operation  which is well supported by a set of policies and principles on procurement and supply management  aim to support the National Malaria Control programme in procuring quality- assured medicines and other health products in sufficient quantities, reduce cost inefficiencies, ensure  the reliability and security of the distribution system.

The unit is  responsible to the head of division, National Coordinator  of  NMCP.  Its  major  responsibility   essentially includes the following: 

Product Selection
Forecasting & Quantification
Procurement
Inventory Management
Ensures Commodity Security of all Antimalaria commodities-
Quality Assurance
Promoting  accessibility to  Safe, Effective and Quality Antimalaria  medicines and commodities
Ensuring and promoting Good Storage Practices and elimination of medicine expiration.
Port Clearing  of Antimalaria medicines and commodities
Ensuring and Promoting proper and efficient Distribution System to avoid Expirations  and  Stock Out.
Development and Deployment of inventory and LMIS tools to States and LGAs
Training and Supervisory support  to States/LGAs on LMIS operations and  WAREHOUSE management.
Tracking and Harmonization of all procurement and supply activities carried out by NMCP and RBM  partners.

It is a common slogan in  programmes  that  “NO PRODUCT, NO PROGRAMME”. PSM unit ensures that the programme runs well with the availability of antimalarial products.

On the summary, the PSM unit has the responsibility of ensuring that the logistic system of the antimalarials is not compromised, and targets the clients as its prime concern. This is essentially getting the RIGHT QUANTITIES of the   RIGHT GOODS to the  RIGHT PLACES at the  RIGHT TIME in the    RIGHT CONDITION  and at the  RIGHT COST.

The operations of the unit are officially guided by:

The  National Drug Policy, 2005
Public  Procurement   ACT,2007
National  Antimalaria Treatment Policy (NATP)
National Standard Treatment Guideline .
The  unit offers a cross cutting services.  Working  hand in hand with the Case Management , Integrated  Vector  Management (IVM) and Advocacy Community Social Mobilization (ACSM) units  to achieve the overall  divisions objective.
 

PSM   activities are much   pronounced at the lower level of health care. Several tools have therefore being developed for routine logistic operations to ensure that there is no out of stock and there is no expiration of antimalarial medicines and commodities.