Abstract:
Background: Availability of pharmaceuticals is a major issue in health care logistics as they play a critical role in improving delivery of health care services as well as gaining trust of clients. Utilizing routine health information is a mechanism that helps to achieve universal healthcare coverage by ensuring availability of essential pharmaceuticals by avoiding wastage and shortages. Objective: To assess utilization of routine health information for pharmaceutical procurement and associated factors in public hospitals in Gamo and Gofa zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia, 2020. Methods: Institution based cross-section study design using quantitative method was conducted in Gamo and Gofa zone public hospitals. By using simple random sampling method, 272 respondents were selected from simple randomly selected five public hospitals (two general and three district) and one Ethiopia pharmaceutical supply agency Arba Minch branch. Structured selfadministered questionnaire was used after giving training for data collectors. The supervisor and data collectors were trained health information technician in each hospital. The collected data were checked for its completeness and consistency, then entered in to Epi.Data 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 for further analysis. Result: Among the respondents, 192 (72.2%) were males and 112 (42.1%) respondents were pharmacy professionals. 186 (66.9%) were claimed to utilize routine health information and among those using routine health information, 130(69.9%) were uses the information for pharmaceutical procurement. In binary logistic regression analysis of utilization of routine health information for pharmaceutical procurement is statistically significant with variables (p-value <0.05, CI 95% and 0.05 margin of error) monitoring pharmaceutical procurement process, evaluation of pharmaceutical procurement, pharmaceutical procurement based on Ethiopia essential drug list, provision of training for pharmaceutical procurement committee and suppliers deliver right pharmaceutical at right time. Conclusion and recommendation The study revealed that 69.9% used routine health information for pharmaceutical procurement, 70.7% pharmaceutical procurement were transparent and 51% of the reason for stock out was lack of integration of routine health information unit with pharmacy unit. Routine health information utilization for pharmaceutical procurement affected by different factors, 31.6% were lack motivation, 39.1% of procurement were not according to standards and regulation of federal minister of health. Federal minister of health, regional health bureau, and zonal health department strengthen monitoring and evaluating routine health information utilization for pharmaceutical procurement. The public hospitals encourage sock rotation and inventory management.