A reliable pharmaceutical supply chain is essential to ensuring that medicines, vaccines, laboratory supplies and other health commodities are available when and where they are needed. Effective supply chain systems help ensure that products are safe, high quality, affordable and delivered to the right patient at the right time.
When these systems work well, they support better healthcare delivery and improved patient outcomes.
In this course, you will explore the pharmaceutical supply chain from end to end, gaining an understanding of the key processes and decisions that support the movement of healthcare products from suppliers to patients. Topics include the principles of supply chain management, logistics and distribution systems, inventory management and warehousing, quantification and forecasting, procurement and supplier management, logistics management information systems (LMIS), transportation networks, quality assurance, traceability and performance monitoring using key indicators and data. Drawing on real-world examples from African health systems, the course highlights both the practical challenges and the opportunities involved in strengthening pharmaceutical supply chains in diverse and resource-constrained settings. Whether you are a pharmacist, healthcare worker, supply chain professional, policymaker, NGO practitioner, student, or simply interested in strengthening health systems, this course will provide a practical and accessible foundation for understanding how strong pharmaceutical supply chains help ensure reliable access to essential health products.
