Kaizen Institute’s recent work in Kaduna State has cut patient waiting times at primary health centres by streamlining pharmacy operations and improving drug storage.
Standardising supply chains at the grassroots level
At Sabon Tasha Primary Healthcare Centre, staff previously struggled with a makeshift storage area that caused loss of medicines and delayed treatment. The pharmacy head, Jennifer James Gayan, reported that the new system has made her workflow smoother.
The intervention introduced a uniform warehouse process, visual cues for stock levels, and temperature-controlled cabinets to keep supplies viable. These changes aim to prevent expiry and keep drugs at the correct temperature.
Since 2023, Kaizen Institute has extended technical assistance to ten primary health centres—including Badarawa, Rigasa Miyetti, and Jere—as well as the secondary Dantsoho Memorial Hospital and the tertiary Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital.
Streamlining Warehouse Practices
Before the overhaul, the Kaduna State Health Supplies Management Agency (KADHSMA) faced fragmented warehouse practices, underused space, and reliance on individual staff habits, which slowed distribution.
The institute’s plan targeted four zonal warehouses located in Kafanchan, Kachia, Sabon Garin Zaria and Ikara, seeking to make them model hubs for the state’s supply chain.
State lead Jamiu Yusuf said the upgrades boosted inventory control, increased medicine availability, and shortened the interval between central storage and clinic delivery.
Store officer Amos Sunday recalled that orders once took two weeks to arrive; now facilities receive drugs within one to three days, a drastic improvement for patient care.
He added that the central warehouse now focuses on the capital’s demand and the needs of secondary and tertiary hospitals, easing its overall workload.
Yusuf highlighted that on-time deliveries rose from 61% to 96%, indicating a more reliable flow of health commodities across the network.
Pharmacist Nafisatu Abubakar noted that many medicines lose potency once they expire, stressing the importance of proactive stock rotation and proper handling to curb waste.
She pointed to Kaizen’s “5S” system, Sorting, Set in order, Shine, Standardise, Sustain, as a key driver of better housekeeping in both warehouses and pharmacy counters.
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Annual losses from expired drugs dropped from roughly ₦1 million to between ₦100,000 and ₦200,000, with remaining write-offs limited to rarely used items such as anti-rabies serum.
Reducing Drug Waste
KADHSMA’s Drug Revolving Fund recycles revenue from medicine sales to replenish supplies, helping keep essential drugs on hand for patients.
Senior consultant Taiwo Peter Idowu reported that dispensing time fell from 15-20 minutes to under two minutes per prescription, reflecting the new layout and quicker retrieval.
Intern James Solomon observed that staff now label and arrange drugs more efficiently, applying First Expired, First Out (FEFO) and First In, First Out (FIFO) principles to prioritize stock.
Yusuf acknowledged challenges like staff turnover and competing priorities, but said regular coaching, creation of Kaizen champions, and routine audits have helped embed the new processes.
Through the expansion of technical assistance, additional primary health centres, Rimin Doko, Makera Kakuri, Kafanchan A, Kafanchan B, and Makarfi, have adopted the same storage layout and visual management tools introduced earlier. Staff at these sites report smoother stock-taking routines and quicker identification of medicines during peak hours.
Implementation at the newer facilities also included the installation of temperature-monitoring devices calibrated to local climate conditions. This step ensures that temperature-sensitive products remain within recommended ranges, reducing the risk of potency loss before they reach patients.
Enhancing Pharmacy Efficiency
Daily work management boards now display key performance indicators for each pharmacy, such as stock-turnover rates and expiry alerts. By reviewing these boards each shift, teams can address bottlenecks before they affect service delivery.
Standard work documents outline step-by-step procedures for receiving, unpacking, and shelving new shipments. These documents are posted at each workstation, providing a consistent reference that minimizes reliance on individual memory.
A3 problem-solving sheets are employed whenever a deviation from expected performance occurs.
Impact on specialised medicines and financial mechanisms
Specialised products such as anti-rabies serum, antivenoms, and Rhogam continue to represent the majority of the remaining write-offs, given their limited demand and strict shelf-life requirements.
