NMS came into existence through an act of Parliament called the NMS Act of 1993 to deal with the growing demand for medicine and medical supplies.  The role of NMS is stipulated in the mandate that is provided for in the NMS Act which is to procure, store and distribute essential medicines and medical supplies of good quality primarily to public health facilities.

Yes, NMS procures, stores and delivers vaccines to the District Vaccine Stores (DVS).

There are two categories of vaccines;

Vaccines against major childhood diseases which are supplied to all Public and Private Health facilities in the country.
Other vaccines including Anti-rabies, Anti-snake, Yellow fever and Hepatitis B vaccines. NMS expects orders of this type of vaccines to be submitted with the rest of the facility order.

All medicine and medical supplies that go to government health facilities are supposed to be embossed. Embossing means placing a special distinguishing mark to any product or supply distributed by NMS. All medicines and medical supplies that go to Government Health facilities have words, “Government of Uganda Not for Sale” on the labels and then a “UG” on a tablet, a capsule, vial or ampoule.

This policy was introduced;

• To ensure that patients easily distinguish medicines and medical supplies and get them free of charge from government health facilities.
• To ensure that embossed medicines and medical supplies are not diverted or stolen from government t health facilities or stores and taken to private health facilities where they would be sold.
• It is meant to make it easy for law enforcement organs like Police and courts of law to easily identify the products meant for government for the purpose of charging and convicting suspects brought before them.

Medicines and health supplies have a shelf life. All items with a shelf life experience a degree of expiry, worldwide due to factors including unpredictability of disease patterns, passing away of some patients and staffing challenges. The level of expiries, however, should be kept at minimal level. This can be done by;

• Proper planning based on disease patterns
• Ordering for medicines and health supplies in quantities that can be used
• Ensuring that the medicines and health supplies are properly stored and dispensed according to expiry dates (First Expiry First Out – FEFO principal)
• Prescribing medicine available in the facility
• Liaising with the District authorities to redistribute medicine to neighboring facilities that need it

• Regulate the importation and quality of medicines. This is done by the National Drug Authority, NDA
• Supply to private facilities
• Monitor and regulate the storage and use of medicines and health supplies in the facilities. This is done by the health facility in charges, DHO’s, Medical Superintendents, and Hospital Directors
• Supply of non-ordered medicines and health supplies. Supply is only done by a facility submitting it’s or when a directive has been sent by MoH for national programmes like Mass Immunization, Child days plus in April and October and outbreaks like Ebola, Marburg, Cholera, Nodding disease syndrome etc.

• MOH
• MOFPED
• PPDA
• NDA
• UGANDA POLICE
• UPDF
• PRISONS
• ALL GOVERNMENT HEALTH FACILITIES (RRHs, GHs, HCIVs, HCIII’s and HCII’S)
• INSTITUTES (HEART INTITUTE, UBTS)
• BUTABIKA HOSPITAL
• MHSDMU
• DHOs
• RDCs
• CAOs
•  

• A complaint is a statement that something is unsatisfactory or unacceptable.

  • Complaints are received by written means through the Customer Complaints Form.
  • They are recorded, a file opened and serialized with a reference number
  • It is then assigned to the relevant action officer depending on the nature of the complaint.
  • The action officer reviews the complaint, investigates and determines the course of action within a given timeframe.
  • The Customer Care Attendant advises the Customer on the agreed resolution and action closes the file and keeps it in the records.

• NMS has a head office in Entebbe and this is where all medicine orders are processed. NMS can be contacted through;

  Phone: +256 414320089/320507

  Toll free: 080012221 (UTL)

  sales@nms.go.ug

For regional offices contact;

Arua Regional Office                                                             Kampala Regional Office

0783622222                                                                           0776141463, 0776141434

Gulu Regional Office                                                             Mbale Regional Office

0776141446, 0776245000                                                   0776141411, 0776141437

Hoima Regional Office                                                          Mbarara Regional Office

0776141408, 0776141409                                                  0776141433, 0776141443

Kabarole Regional Office                                                         Moroto Regional Office

0776141404, 0776141403                                                       0772886246

Soroti Regional Office                                                                        Jinja Regional Office

0776141402, 0776141400                                                                 0780192072