Introduction and Background Information

Pharmacy Department of Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) provides standard quality pharmaceutical care to both inpatients and outpatients attending the Hospital. Pharmacy department is committed to ensure that most essential medicines are available through proficient supply chain management including efficient and cost-effective procurement, storage, and distribution and ensuring rational dispensing of the medicines and medical device to various clients to enhance drug adherence.

Inventory control is done through both manual and computerized systems. It is our commitment that we are working tirelessly to ensure all inventories are comprehensively computerized so that to have quality data as well as preventing possibilities of loss rats.

Organization Structure and Functions of the Department

The KCMC Pharmacy Department is organized into Eight operational units namely: Supply chain & Inventory unit (Stores), Inpatient unit, Outpatient unit, Oncology unit, Production unit, CCFCC Unit, Pharmacovigilance & Drug Information Unit and GSF Project Pharmacy. All pharmacies in the hospital are fully computerized and utilize the Jeeva system to carry out all pharmaceutical transactions. The computerized system enables pharmacy staff to locate any medicine which is out of stock in one pharmacy but is available in another pharmacy.

Units/Sections Within The Department

A. Supply Chain & Inventory (Store) Unit

This unit ensures the availability of all essential medicines. It works closely with Procurement Management Unit (PMU) in procurement of Pharmaceuticals, Store and control them as well as distributing to all dispensing outlets. In the daily activities we make sure that we adhere with the Government procurement procedures, keeping friendly environment for storage and use all necessary working tools to control stock. Our main target in this area is to store standard medicines and supplies and use cost effective procurement to reduce running costs of our Hospital.

B. Inpatient Unit

The unit comprises Pharmacies at Underground, Medical floor (Satellite one) and Obstetrics & Gynaecology floor (Satellite two). They provide service mainly to admitted patients, attend discharges and coved few outpatients especially staff

1. Underground Pharmacy – Dispense fluids, dressings, Controlled drugs to all wards, Prepare extemporaneous preparations (syrups) to clients in need as well as diluting and dispensing Morphine oral solution to Palliative care patients.
2. Satellite one Pharmacy – Provide service to Medical wards, Paediatric wards, Urology, ENT and Emergency.
3. Satellite two Pharmacy – cover Obstetrics and Gynaecology wards and Surgical wards. To improve services in this area we have plan to expand our care at Emergency & Trauma Department.

C. Outpatient Unit

This unit comprises of Main OPD Pharmacy which attend most of day patients (Outpatients) from all clinics except Eye and Dermatology, Ophthalmology Pharmacy which attend patients from Eye clinic and Dermatology Dispensing outlet which cover patients at Dermatology clinic. Due to congestion at Main OPD Pharmacy, we will open Sub OPD Pharmacy near Orthopaedic clinic before June 2021.

D. Child Cantered Family Care Clinic (CCFCC) Pharmacy

This unit attends patients who are on Antiretrovitus Therapy (ART). Although the services provided falls under Outpatient but due to status of the clients, we decided to make it stand alone unit.

E. Oncology Pharmacy

This Pharmacy is located in the Cancer Care buildings. It provides services to Cancer patients admitted or attending clinic. Activities here include Dose calculations and mixing of Chemotherapy medicines (Chemo mixing), dispensing anticancer and make follow-up to patients to identify any safety issue the client may encounter.

F. Production Unit

The unit is located at Underground. We produce sterile and non-sterile preparations. Example of preparations include but not limited to: Hypertonic, Isotonic and Hypotonic Sodium Chloride, Compound Sodium Lactate, Dextrose Normal Saline, Dextrose 5%, 10% and 50%, Mannitol 10%, Acetic acid 0.025%, Sodium Bicarbonate 8.4%, Potassium Chloride 7.45%, Water for injection, Sodium Hypochlorite 3.5%, Methylated Spirit 70%, Alcohol based hand rub 70%, Hydrogen peroxide 3%, Sodium Chloride nasal drops 0.9% Hydrogen peroxide ear drops, Salicylic acid 10% & 20%, Betamethasone ointment & cream 0.025% and Crude coal tar 5%. The unit is slowly growing day to day and now we are in process of introducing Microwave sterilization technique which will make us more capable of producing more items as the current Autoclave sterilization is not suitable to some products especially those packed in plastics.

G. Pharmacovigilance & Drug Information Unit

This unit is responsible for responding to pharmaceutical queries from all patients attending the hospital including KCMC staff. It is also responsible for the preparation and publishing of KCMC formulary as approved by the Hospital Medicines and Therapeutic Committee and to facilitate monitoring adverse drug reactions (ADR) and reporting the events. The unit is also responsible for informing all prescribers in the hospital which medicines are available in all pharmacies across the hospital.

H. GSF Project Pharmacy

It is located opposite to Emergency Medicine Department. It is established purposely to cover the gaps which may be uncounted at the Hospital Pharmacy. It is also involved in Wholesale for few medicines and retail other non-medical items like baby wipes, diapers etc. GSF is there to make sure that no patient will move out of the Hospital compound to look for medicines.