Govt demands accountability in medicine access

MINISTER for Health Mohammed Mchengerwa has issued key directives to improve access to medicines and health products, stressing that health workers must be accountable and deliver tangible results for citizens.

Speaking on Friday at the Medical Stores Department (MSD) in Dar es Salaam during a meeting with stakeholders in medicines and medical devices, he noted that government statistics alone are insufficient if they do not reflect actual service delivery, pointing out that citizens still face medicine shortages despite reports of improvements.

To strengthen the system, Mr Mchengerwa instructed the Chief Government Pharmacist to review the medicine availability assessment system, focusing not only on presence, but also on sufficiency relative to actual needs.

He directed the Chief Medical Officer to supervise prescription practices in line with the Treatment Guidelines and the National Essential Medicines List and to reinforce the role of Medical and Therapeutic Committees (MTCs).

He also ordered a review of health facility management structures to ensure pharmacists are included in management teams. Hospitals and facilities with debts to MSD must negotiate repayment agreements within three months, as this is a fundamental obligation.

Regional and District Chief Medical Officers are tasked with closely monitoring fund use, especially in medicine procurement, and ensuring proper use of information systems. The Minister encouraged citizens to report challenges in accessing medicines in their areas.

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The government has initiated the establishment of an electronic prescription system (e-Prescription) to enhance transparency, monitoring, and efficiency, and to reduce prescriptions for unavailable medicines.

Mr Mchengerwa emphasised continued government investment in the health sector, particularly in ensuring essential health commodities are available so that citizens receive quality, safe and timely services.

According to assessments, medicine availability at national and facility levels stands at 89–90 per cent reflecting strong government focus on procurement, supply, warehouse management, and distribution. However, despite these figures, citizens continue to report shortages, prompting the government to address this as a priority.

He cited challenges including misuse of funds for health commodities, failure to follow treatment guidelines and procurement procedures, and weak data use in forecasting actual needs. The consequences include medicine shortages, delayed patient care, risk of early stock depletion, reduced public confidence in health services, and weakened government responsiveness.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office for Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), Dr Jafar Seif, urged Regional and District Medical Officers to educate the public on proper medicine use and confirmed close collaboration with the Ministry of Health to implement all meeting resolutions.

On his part, the Permanent Secretary Dr Seif Shekalaghe reaffirmed the Ministry’s duty to serve all citizens according to laws, policies and guidelines.

Equally, Deputy Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Tayari called on stakeholders to continue supporting local manufacturers to boost confidence and ensure sustained production.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Grace Magembe explained that the new system for measuring medicine availability will focus on whether patients receive prescribed medicines, not just the quantity supplied by MSD. She also noted that Tanzania maintains low levels of expiring medicines, between 1–2 per cent, below the international benchmark of 5 per cent.