Assessment of the impact of pharmaceutical supply chain management on medicine quality in Afghanistan
Key words: Afghanistan, Drug Quality, Health System, Information Technology, Supervision, Supply Chain Management, Transparency
Mohammad Jawad Mahmoodi
Abstract
The pharmaceutical supply chain, as a network of interconnected activities and resources—from the procurement of raw materials to the final distribution of medicines toMohammad Jawad Mahmoodi consumers—plays a vital role in ensuring the quality and accessibility of pharmaceuticals. This study aimed to examine the impact of key management components of the pharmaceutical supply chain on the quality of medicines at the Provincial Hospital in Herat, Afghanistan. The primary research question addresses how components such as procurement, transparency, access, distribution, quality, monitoring, technology, information systems, structural challenges, and managerial solutions influence the final quality of medicines. The research employed an applied, descriptive-correlational, and survey-based methodology. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed to 234 hospital staff members. The questionnaire’s reliability was confirmed by a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.769. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics and linear regression tests. Findings indicated that optimal and coordinated management of pharmaceutical supply chain components—including transparency (=0.450, R²=0.40, P<0.01), appropriate access and distribution (r=0.520, R²=0.47, p<0.01), rigorous quality monitoring (r=0.380, R²=0.35, P<=0.01), utilization of modern technologies (r=0.330, R²=0.30, P<0.05), and implementation of managerial strategies (r=0.360, R²=0.33, P<0.01) had a significant positive effect on medicine quality. Additionally, structural challenges such as weak infrastructure (r = 0.450, R² = 0.20, P < 0.05), shortage of skilled personnel (r = 0.60, R² = 0.36, P < 0.01), and financial constraints considerably impacted the quality of medicine. Transparency, access, and distribution had the highest predictive power on medicine quality, while technology showed a relatively weaker effect. The results underscore the importance of enhancing pharmaceutical supply chain management in Afghanistan and suggest that improving process transparency, strengthening monitoring, advancing information technologies, and addressing structural barriers can enhance medicine quality and ensure fair and timely access to high-quality medicines. This study serves as a valuable guide for policymakers and healthcare system managers in the country.
