Course Description: This eLearning covers key aspects of pharmaceutical distribution, including management overview, good distribution practices, route planning and scheduling, documentation, distribution during public health emergencies, and monitoring and evaluation.

 The course is an adaptation of the national face-to-face pharmaceutical distribution management. The course will take approximately 2 and a half hours to complete, and you are advised to complete each session at once.

Course objective: The aim is to equip you with the knowledge and attitude needed to manage pharmaceutical distribution operations effectively.

Who will learn the course:

This e-learning course targets healthcare professionals who are involved in pharmaceutical distribution management activities, as mentioned below, but not limited to:

·       Pharmacists

·       Pharmacy technician

·       Biomedical engineers and technicians and

·       Medical laboratory professionals

This course is designed with multiple interactive learning activities. You are expected to complete all sessions listed below

1.     Introduction to pharmaceutical distribution management,

2.     Good distribution practice for pharmaceutical products,

3.     Route planning and delivery schedule,

4.     Documentation for pharmaceutical distribution,

5.     Pharmaceutical distribution in case of public health emergency, and

6.     Pharmaceutical distribution monitoring and evaluation

Course Format and Materials
The course includes on-screen text, video, audio, and additional reference materials that you to download for further reading.

Technical Requirements

The course is fully self-paced and requires a stable internet connection. You are also advised to use a headset or earphones, particularly in environments with background noise.

Assessment and Certification

Participant Assessment

• Pretest (Formative)
• Session-based knowledge checks
• Post-test (summative)

Certification Criteria

• Completion of all sessions
• Post-test score of 75% and above

Continuing Education Unit (CEU): 8 CEU. If you meet the certification criteria, you will receive an Ethiopian Ministry of Health–accredited CPD Certificate for Pharmaceutical distribution management.

Message from Lead Executive Officer of MOH/PME-LEO

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has undertaken significant transformation initiatives to improve the quality and accessibility of medicines and pharmaceutical services at all levels of the health system. As it is clearly specified in the Ministry’s strategic documents, one of the major strategic initiatives to enhance the sector is the strengthening of auditable pharmaceutical transactions and services (APTS) implementation at health facilities. 

APTS is a data-driven package of proven interventions that helps to bring efficient budget utilization, transparent and accountable transactions, effective workforce development and deployment, reliable information, and improved customer satisfaction. So far, more than 375 health facilities have implemented APTS and achieved promising improvements.

To accelerate the implementation of the system across the country, the provision of standardized APTS training courses as continuous professional development (CPD) is a requirement for all pharmacy and finance professionals working on the system. Accordingly, the ministry has developed a face-to-face APTS training package. While face-to-face learning has its own advantages, an APTS eLearning training course facilitates online learning, which is preferable for its flexibility and greater reach to larger audiences in a short period of time.

This online APTS eLearning package is designed to enable participants to implement APTS at health facilities. The course addresses the APTS essential elements (result areas) and the related intervention areas. The course has incorporated all critical APTS issues in adequate detail appropriate for virtual learning to enhance the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of target beneficiaries. 

Finally, I would like to thank the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project and other experts for their assistance in making this e-learning course a reality. The Ministry firmly believes that this course will support the national initiative to expand APTS in all regional states.

I thank you and wish you a successful course! 

Regasa Bayisa (BPhram, MPH)
Pharmaceutical and medical Devices Lead Executive officer
Ministry of Health – Ethiopia