Transparent and institutionally strong pharmaceutical supply chains can strongly contribute towards improving access to essential drugs. However, pharmaceutical supply and distribution systems in most countries are often a complex network of heterogeneous stake-holders from the public, private-for-profit and private-non-profit sectors. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the different players, their roles and functions within the public sector, the private sector and the mission sector supply chain for medicines in Zambia. We present these supply chain maps with additional considerations on possible entry points for the MeTA initiative within the various functions outlined in this report.

The methodology used for this study consisted of primarily qualitative and some quantitative analysis. The study traces the flow of essential medicines from the manufacturer to the patient in the three sectors outlined above. Primary research was conducted using in-person interviews with various stake-holders in the supply chain in Zambia. A template to assess role and responsibilities and the extent of markups at each stage was used wherever possible. This initial study was used to assess the feasibility and value of a detailed supply chain mapping exercise for the MeTA initiative. This should be viewed as a preliminary-level study as all information could not be obtained in the short time frame.