The Plateau State Drugs and Medical Commodities Management Agency has developed an inventory system called PLASUPPLY to enhance the efficiency of its operations.
Kim Bot, the executive secretary of the agency, disclosed this in an interview on Monday in Jos.
Mr Bot, who is a pharmacist, said the tool, which was invented locally, was used by the agency to carry out the entire inventory of commodities at the central warehouse.
He said PLASUPPLY aided in the overall effective management of raw materials, drugs, and other medical materials.
According to him, the inventory tool was designed to streamline various processes, such as stock tracking, order placement, and hinting of when drugs and commodities were close to expiration.
“The PLASUPPLY tool informs us of drugs in the warehouse that will be expiring in the next six months and where such drugs are needed in our healthcare facilities.
“This system, aside from boosting efficiency, also helps in saving costs, as we do not have cases of expired drugs in the warehouse,“ he said.
Mr Bot further stated that the agency, which is responsible for ensuring the availability and affordability of essential drugs and medical supplies in the state, had signed various memoranda of understanding with both local and international pharmaceutical companies.
He said the agency, in a bid to enhance healthcare outcomes for the state’s citizens, had opened a Drug Information Centre for tracking adverse drug reactions from hospitals and individuals.
Mr Bot said a 50 per cent toll-free line, 081299924, was opened to enable the agency to receive complaints of adverse drug reactions from the public.
He called on members of the public with adverse drug reactions to call the toll number to enable the agency to determine if the reaction was caused chemically or due to the individual’s genetic makeup.
