Our research
The effect of end-to-end procurement on medicine availability.
A prospective implementation study examining whether better demand forecasting and more predictable payment systems can reduce procurement delays and medicine stockouts in Ghanaian hospitals.
- Study team
- Dr. Charles Ofei-Palm
Dr. Joycelyn Dame
Chuck Aryeetey
Bright Kodua - Setting
- Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital,
Trust Hospital - Study period
- Beginning June 2026
- Niora's role
- Implementation partner
Dr. Charles Ofei-Palm, Director of Pharmacy, with the Niora implementation team at Korle-Bu.
Korle Bu's pharmacy procures essential medicines for a 2,000-bed referral hospital serving millions of patients each year.
Medicine availability depends not only on whether medicines exist in the market, but on whether health facilities can anticipate demand, procure stock in time, and pay suppliers predictably.
In Ghana, hospitals operate within a pharmaceutical supply chain affected by weak forecasting, long procurement lead times, fragmented distribution, financing constraints, and delayed payments. Payment delays can constrain facilities' ability to replenish medicines and can make suppliers less willing to extend favorable terms or continue supplying on credit.
This study tests whether two interventions—better demand forecasting and more predictable procurement payments—can improve that cycle. The primary question is: do these changes lead to more efficient procurement and fewer or shorter medicine stockouts?
What the study measures
Medicine availability
Procurement and payment timelines
Forecasting and procurement performance
Whether implementation is associated with fewer and shorter medicine stockouts across the study sites.
Niora builds and deploys the intervention. The research team evaluates it independently.
Niora Systems is the study's implementation partner. Under the protocol, Niora develops and deploys the forecasting and procurement intervention used at the study sites.
The intervention is being introduced in two phases. The first deploys a procurement system with stock visibility and automated reorder alerts. The second introduces a payment system designed to create more predictable procurement payment schedules and reduce emergency purchasing volatility.
Niora does not design the study, collect the research data, analyze the results, interpret the findings, or control publication decisions. Those responsibilities remain with the independent research team.
Findings are intended for peer-reviewed publication and presentation to participating hospitals, with a policy brief planned for Ghana's Ministry of Health and National Health Insurance Authority.
Investigators
Dr. Charles Ofei-Palm
Principal Investigator · Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital
Director of Pharmacy at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and a Consultant Pharmacist in Public Health. His work spans hospital pharmacy practice, medicines use and pharmaceutical care, including published research on the availability, cost and rational use of medicines in Ghana. In this study, he serves as Principal Investigator and institutional lead at Korle Bu, providing expertise in hospital pharmacy operations and procurement systems.
Dr. Joycelyn Dame
Principal Investigator · Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital
Chuck Aryeetey
Pharmacist and Research Co-lead · The Trust Hospital
Bright Kodua
Research Co-lead · The Trust Hospital
Niora partners with leading institutions to advance supply chains.
For research collaborations, institutional pilots, or questions about the study protocol.
Write to the team