Table 3 Step 3: Resources to ensure a start-up supply of medications and blood pressure measurement devices.
From: A simple six-step guide to National-Scale Hypertension Control Program implementation
Sub-step | Task | Description | General tools and templates | Country-specific examples |
---|---|---|---|---|
Step 3A | Inventory current medications | Conduct an inventory survey. The inventory should include medications at the store and facility level. | Baseline facility checklist [9] | |
Step 3B | Inventory current BP devices | Conduct an inventory survey at the facility level. | Baseline facility checklist [9] | |
Step 3C | Forecast medication needs | Program supervisors work with facility level managers to project future needs. Initial drug supply forecasting should incorporate program growth scenarios. Forecasting should also plan for multi-month refills (six months or longer) for patients with stable, controlled blood pressure. | Forecasting tool template [9] | Medication forecasting examples [9] |
Step 3D | Forecast BP device needs | Program supervisors work with facility-level managers to identify any gaps and project future needs of BP devices. | Blood pressure device forecasting for opportunistic screening [30] | |
Step 3E | Procure and monitor medications | Assess the current procurement process and consider alternative options as relevant. Monitor medications on a regular basis and reorder as appropriate. Stock should never fall below a 3-month supply. | Johns Hopkins University Global Hypertension Course (Module 5) [31] | |
Step 3F | Procure BP devices | Assess the current procurement process for BP devices and consider alternative options as relevant | How to choose an automated device [9] Selecting BP devices [32] Automated digital BP devices fact sheet [9] WHO technical specifications for automated non-invasive BP measuring devices with cuff [15] Suggested Requirements for External Validation Studies [9] A 90-second primer on automated digital BP monitors [9] Blood pressure measurement device selection in low‐resource settings: Challenges, compromises, and routes to progress [14] | Example of a request for proposal for blood pressure devices [9] |
3G | Utilize and strengthen supply chains | Strengthen supply chain for medicine distribution and establish procedures for monitoring and refilling medication inventory. | Drug stock tool—Template [9] | Drug stock tool- Example (India) [9] Min-Max inventory guidance [9, 20] |