Field Testing a Drug Management Application at Ugandan Health Facilities

Abstract

A Drug Management Application (DMA) provides health care facilities with a tool to enhance drug inventory and drug orders. The objective of conducting the field tests was to evaluate attitudes, effective use and effects of the DMA during a time-limited trial at carefully selected rural health centers. At the end of the field-tests, rural health workers reported several benefits experienced through using the DMA including: (i) it is a time-saving approach for ordering drugs; (ii) it allows feedback from the drugs distribution center; (iii) it is cost-effective since transport costs are eliminated; (iv) it facilitates effective inventory management; (v) it presents an opportunity to monitor and stay within the drugs budget of the health facility. This contributes to the implementation of rational drug management and use of medicines.