MoH, KEMSA call for stronger pharmaceutical leadership to boost medicine availability

The Ministry of Health and the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) have called on hospital pharmacists and health facilities across the country to take a central leadership role in managing medical supplies as procurement alone cannot resolve persistent drug shortages and stock-outs in public facilities.
Speaking on October 12 at a national health conference in Naivasha Health Principal Secretary Dr. Ouma Oluga emphasized that achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) depends on data-driven health products and technologies (HPT) management rather than simply buying commodities.
"Procurement alone does not guarantee availability," Dr. Oluga said, urging pharmacists to adopt a more strategic role in determining facility needs using reliable consumption data, clinical evidence, and service delivery metrics.
The conference, themed "Strengthening Pharmacist Leadership and Strategic HPT Management for Sustainable Health System Resilience," brought together health officials from national and county governments, hospital pharmacists, development partners, and pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Participants are reviewing product harmonisation, digital tracking tools, and procurement planning for the 2026/2027 financial year.
KEMSA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Waqo Ejersa backed the government’s directive, emphasizing that supply chain reforms must be measured by patient outcomes rather than administrative metrics.
“Our performance must ultimately be reflected in the ability of health facilities to deliver services reliably and in the ability of patients to access the products they need when they need them,” Dr. Ejersa said.
He challenged health institution management teams to stop treating pharmacists merely as storekeepers.
“Pharmacists must be positioned not only as custodians of medicines, but also as strategic contributors to institutional efficiency, patient safety and health-system sustainability,” Ejersa added.
He also called for accurate facility-level consumption data to prevent stock-outs, overstocking, and costly drug expiries.
Dr. Ejersa noted that technology alone cannot solve supply chain bottlenecks without reliable data and institutional accountability.
"The objective is straightforward: to ensure that our collective resources translate into the greatest possible benefit for patients," he stated.
Key expected outputs from the conference include a harmonized, pharmacist-validated essential product list, standardized medical specifications, and a joint KEMSA–Hospital Pharmacists Action Plan to guide procurement for the upcoming financial year.
The forum is supported by key stakeholders and industry partners, including the Hospital Pharmacists Association of Kenya (HOPAK), the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Novartis, Cipla, Ethypharm, Troikaa, and Pfizer.