Storage of Health Commodities Supply Chain Management

Role of Product Storage in Supply Chains 2

Key storage activities Supply receiving and incoming inspection Put away Picking and packing Shipping 3

Purpose of Storage Protect the quality of the product and its packaging throughout the supply chain. Make product available for distribution. 4

Shelf Life Shelf life is the length of time a product may be stored without affecting the usability, safety, purity, or potency of the item, assuming that the recommended storage conditions are met Ref.: Logistics Handbook) 5

Other basic questions and answer on shelf life How important is the expiration date? What is the effect of storage on usability of products? Why is shelf life important for lab commodities? What is the effect of storage condition of lab products? 6

General Guidelines for Health Commodities Storage (1) 1. Clean and disinfect storeroom regularly. 2. Store supplies in a dry, well-lit, and well- ventilated storeroom, out of direct sunlight. 3. Secure the storeroom from water penetration. 4. Ensure that fire safety equipment is available and accessible, and that personnel are trained to use it. 5. Maintain cold storage, including a cold chain, for commodities that require it. 7

General Guidelines for Health Commodities Storage (2) 6. Store latex (e.g. gloves) products away from electric motors and fluorescent lights. 7. Store flammable, toxic and inflammable products separately using appropriate material safety data sheet (MSDS) provided by the manufacturer. 8. Some laboratory commodities may contain cyanide and need to be carefully disposed 8

General Guidelines for Health Commodities storage (3) 10. Store medical supplies separately, away from insecticides, chemicals, old files, office supplies, and other materials. 11. Arrange cartons so that arrows point up, and ensure that identification labels, expiry dates, and manufacturing dates are visible. 12. Store supplies in a manner accessible for FEFO, counting, and general management. 13. Separate and dispose of damaged or expired products without delay. 9

Questions for Low cost/no cost Strategies – Discussion Which of the guidelines is a policy or facility level decision/action? Which guideline can be followed or implemented at no cost? If the implementation of the guideline involves cost, can it be done at low cost? How? 10

Summary on Storage Guidelines on low/no cost strategy Some solutions may be very expensive, require physical or structural changes Other solutions are within the storekeeper’s ability, are low cost or no cost at all, and can help in protect the shelf life of commodities. 11

Special storage considerations – group work What specific challenges related to the guidelines you chose? What is the consequence to supply chain/commodity availability if identified storage problems are not addressed timely/adequately? 12

Special Conditions for Storage 1. Security (Locking rooms, cabins, shelves etc.) 2. Cold chain ( e.g. controls) 3. Disposal of expired products (some products may require certificate for proper disposal) 4. Short Shelf Life (poor storage condition lead to hemolysis) 5. Different shelf life for different products in a kit (HIV Test kits may have chase buffer that has shorter shelf life) 13

What is Physical Inventory? A physical inventory/count is the process of counting by hand the total number of units of each commodity in your store or health facility at any given time 14

What is the Purpose of Physical Inventory? Is to compare actual stock on hand for each commodity with the amount recorded on the stock card or bin card 15

What is Visual Inspection? It is the process of examining products and their packaging to look for obvious problems with the product quality 16

When Visual Inspection is Done Every time products are received from the manufacturer (usually at the central level) Each time the warehouse or clinic receives supplies When conducting a physical inventory When investigating complaints When supplies are about to expire When supplies show signs of damage 17

What to look for when conducting Visual Inspection Package an product integrity Manufacturing defects Labeling Missing contents Presence of foreign matter inside unit package 18

Any questions? Thank you!! 19