Status of the Non-Governmental Medical Supply Warehouses in Gaza

Storage of medicine is one of the most important stages in the pharmaceutical and medical preparations management, which influences the quality and the effectiveness of these products. Aim: To assess the storage system of the drugs, medical disposables and their management in the international, local NGOs and private warehouses in Gaza governorates in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the pharmaceuticals storage, management and subsequently its utilization. Methods: The design of the study was descriptive, analytical, cross sectional one; the sample included all medical warehouses which belong to local and international NGOs and the private sector and all the employees working in these warehouses who had direct responsibilities in storage process. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaire completed by one hundred and five employees and checklist for fifty one warehouses. The response rate was 95% for employees and 98% for warehouses. Result: Almost all warehouses had special areas for receiving and checking medical supplies and more than half of them had considered these areas as sufficient and 64% had no emergency doors; and 53% had no emerge