Critical success factors in the supply chain management of essential medicines in the public health-care system in Malawi
Journal of Global Operations and Strategic Sourcing
ISSN: 2398-5364
Article publication date: 5 January 2021
Issue publication date: 1 September 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to report on a study that investigated the critical success factors (CSFs) in the supply chain management of essential medicines in the public health-care delivery system in Malawi.
Design/methodology/approach
The exploratory and descriptive study followed a qualitative and quantitative research approach. Data were collected by means of semistructured interviews and a questionnaire administered to suppliers of essential medicines, regulators, donors and logistics companies in Malawi. Data was analyzed using SPSS.
Findings
The findings revealed that the significant CSFs are knowledge of disease patterns and prevalence, skills and experience of personnel, adequate financial resources, collaboration with supply chain partners and an efficient procurement and distribution system.
Research limitations/implications
There were a number of limitations in this study. Although every effort was made to carefully and purposefully select the participants for the in-depth interviews in the first phase of the study and the respondents for the questionnaire in the second phase of the study, they were not randomly selected. As such, the findings cannot be generalised to all stakeholders in the pharmaceutical supply chain in Malawi. However, they can be used as a basis for further research on the topic.
Originality/value
No previous studies that deal with the identification of CSFs in the Malawi pharmaceutical supply chain were found. Therefore, this research makes a twofold contribution to the body of knowledge in the field. First, it identifies CSFs; second, it could assist stakeholders in the public health-care service delivery system in Malawi with regard to how they can improve the supply of essential medicines.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper forms part of a special section “Strategic Sourcing in Africa: Integrating African firms in Global Supply Chains”, guest edited by Godfrey Mugurusi, Richard Glavee-Geo and Intaher Marcus Ambe.
Dr G Hendry assisted with the statistics and Dr C Goodier with the language editing.
Citation
Kaupa, F. and Naude, M.J. (2021), "Critical success factors in the supply chain management of essential medicines in the public health-care system in Malawi", Journal of Global Operations and Strategic Sourcing, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 454-476. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGOSS-01-2020-0004
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited