Inventory Optimization and Management of Health Products and Technologies in Kenya: A Multi-County Study on access to Quality affordable Health Products and Technologies

Health Products and Technologies (HPTs) are critical pillars of the health system and essential to achieving Kenya's Universal Health Coverage (UHC). UHC prioritizes access to high-quality medical care with minimal financial hardship. Despite efforts to enhance HPTs management, counties like Kisumu, Machakos, Nyeri, Kiambu, and Isiolo in Kenya face inefficiencies. Challenges include long lead times for receiving commodities and low order fill rates, which hinder access to quality and affordable health HPTs, impacting service delivery. This study aimed to determine the influence of inventory optimization on the management of HPTs. The Utilization Management Theory guided the research. The research was conducted in Kisumu, Kiambu, Machakos, Nyeri, and Isiolo counties, using the pragmatism paradigm to support a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data utilized a descriptive research design, while qualitative data employed an exploratory design. A census sampling method was used in the study, where 141 staff managing HPTs at level 4 and 5 public health facilities were targeted. Participants were drawn from clinical, pharmacy, service delivery, and administration departments. Key informant interviews were conducted with County Directors of Health and County Pharmacists. Data collection involved pre-tested questionnaires and Key Informant interview guides to ensure validity and reliability. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data was thematically analyzed. Diagnostic tests, including normality test, homoscedasticity, autocorrelation, and multicollinearity checks, ensured assumptions were met. The study adhered to research ethics throughout the investigation; informed consent was sought from the respondents; data confidentiality was observed by ensuring no personal identifiers were collected from the respondents; instead, a unique serial number was used to identify the participants. Data was collected and stored in secure areas accessible only to the researcher. The study was approved by the Institutional Scientific Ethical Review Committee of Kenya Methodist University (KeMU/ISERC/HSM/26/2023), and NACOSTI offered a research permit NACOSTI/P/23/31850. The study found that the model explained 53.5% (R Square value of 0.535) of the variance in the management of HPTs. This meant that the model had strong explanatory power, but there was still a significant portion of variance (46.5%) that was not accounted for by these predictors. The study concluded that inventory optimization significantly impacts the management of HPTs. Effective tools such as ABC Analysis, FEFO, and robust safety stock policies can address existing inefficiencies. Integrating these practices with supportive digital systems and tailored policies is vital for access to quality and affordable HPTs, thus improving service delivery.