NMS supplies medicine and medical supplies which are in line with the Essential Medicine List of Uganda. These include; Antiretroviral (ARV’s), essential medicines, essential medical supplies, laboratory supplies including HIV test kits and basic equipment like stethoscopes, BP machines and thermometers.

NMS supplies in accordance with the facility’s’ procurement plan. Each individual facility submits an annual procurement plan that forms the basis for ordering by that facility.
NMS supplies in accordance with the budget available to each facility. NMS can only work within the budget limits per facility.

NMS supplies in accordance with the policies of Ministry of Health with regard to items available at levels of care. Medicines and medical supplies can only be ordered for and supplied per the relevant level of care. For example Regional Referral Hospitals have greater needs than HCIV’s which in turn have greater needs than those of a HCII.

Ministry of Health (MoH) introduced Basic Kits for HCII and HCIII levels of care in the FY2009/10. This was in response to quantification capacity gaps at these levels of care and challenges of the In-Charges of these facilities having to travel long distances to deliver orders to DHO offices. In order to ensure that they are in line with the needs of patients and cater for unique disease patterns across the country, they are reviewed and revised annually by individual HCII and HCIII In-charges under the supervision and direction of the District Health Officers in order to optimize the available resources and respond to the specific needs of the population. The principles for determining items to be included on the basic kits are according to:

• Levels of care according to the Essential Medicines and Health Supplies List of Uganda
• Current MoH treatment guidelines
• Minimum MoH standards and staffing levels to be expected at the different levels of care

Orders are received through email, EMS or by hand delivery to the different NMS regional offices. Health facilities know their needs and submit orders as per the published delivery schedule. Regional Referral Hospitals, General Hospitals and HCIV’s submit procurement plans every financial year and their orders have to be in line their annual planned quantities. Health HCII’s and HCIII’s are receive supplies in line with their district-specific basic kit.

NMS delivers medicine up to the facility’s doorstep. NMS delivers medicine to all health facilities from RRH’s, General Hospitals, HCIV’s, HCIII’s and HCII’s through a system called Last mile delivery.

NMS contracts private transporters to deliver the medicines from district headquarters to individual lower health facilities. The in-charges of lower health facilities receive the cartons containing medicines accompanied by delivery notes specifying medicines in each carton. The in-charges and another member of the community or security organization then open the cartons to confirm that medicines received are exactly what is indicated on delivery notes and are in good condition then proceed to sign and stamp the delivery notes.

Health facilities are expected to follow the First Expiry First Out (FEFO) principle when storing and dispensing medicines. They should plan carefully based on their disease patterns, prescribe medicines that are in stock, and only order quantities they can realistically use within the shelf life. Facilities should also liaise with district authorities to redistribute excess stock to neighboring facilities that need it, ensuring minimal wastage.

Each facility is only eligible to request items approved for its level of care as guided by Ministry of Health policies and the Essential Medicines and Health Supplies List of Uganda. For example, Regional Referral Hospitals can request a wider range of medicines and supplies than HCIVs, while HCIIIs and HCIIs are limited to basic kits and essential items suited to their staffing and service capacities. This tiered approach ensures rational use of resources and equitable distribution across the health system.

If a health facility finds that a delivery is missing items or contains damaged medicines, the in-charge should immediately record the discrepancy on the delivery note, notify the transporter before signing, and report the issue to NMS through the regional office. NMS will verify and resolve such complaints, including arranging for replacement where applicable. This ensures accountability and prevents stock-outs caused by delivery errors.

For urgent issues such as emergency stock-outs, cold-chain failures, or urgent vaccine needs, facilities should contact their respective NMS regional office directly. Each regional office has dedicated contacts for order follow-up, emergency requests, and technical guidance. For escalated cases, facilities may also liaise through their District Health Officer (DHO) to NMS headquarters. Quick escalation helps NMS prioritize responses to critical facility needs.

NMS provides delivery schedules and communicates dispatch details to health facilities. Facilities can follow up on the status of their orders by contacting the NMS regional office through phone or email. Delivery notes are provided for every supply, enabling facilities to reconcile items received against what was ordered. For large orders, facilities are encouraged to track their consignments from dispatch to arrival and report any delays or discrepancies immediately. This monitoring ensures transparency and helps facilities plan better for patient needs.