Situación de la gestión de la cadena de suministro de vacunas infantiles en el Perú

Introduction: Countries face different challenges in managing vaccine supply. In Peru, the process of vaccinating children has specific challenges such as geographical conditions, infrastructure and administrative issues. The vaccination process is important in all types of vaccines aimed at the population. Objective: Determine the management state of the pharmaceutical supply chain of children vaccines in Peru. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted. An online interview was conducted with retail logistics experts, professionals from pharmaceutical companies and planning professionals from the Ministry of Health. The content of the personal interviews was validated by experts. Responses were focused on cold chain (last mile), distances and altitude, handling technology, human resources, management process, planning of vaccine supply and purchase, storage and transport personnel, storage spaces and technology, temperature, transport routes and availability of health professionals for vaccination. Results: The lack of trucks with high technology for transportation, especially in the last mile, was detected, as well as the challenge of taking vaccines to distant cities because some routes are not available, the limited technology for the traceability of the transport of vaccines, and the storage and distribution process with non-standard control. The lack of standardization of the training process of the personnel who handle the vaccines and the absence of certification requirements by the interested companies, including the government, were detected. There is absence of an integrated system that allows managers to know exactly where the vaccines are in real time, the stocks, the patients to whom the doses were applied, among others. Conclusions: It is concluded that there is an urgent need for a systematized plan that ensures the purchase, storage, distribution and application of vaccines so that the entire management process of the pharmaceutical supply chain of children vaccines in Peru can be controlled in real time and efficiently.