THE 2024 Auditor-General’s Report on the Social Services Sector has highlighted persistent issues with stock management at the Ministry of Health’s Fiji Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Services (FPBS).
The report notes significant variances in stock numbers during the FPBS annual stock take, conducted from July 23 to July 26, 2024, pointing to ongoing challenges in maintaining accurate inventory records.
“Stocktaking officers must ensure that stocks are properly stored, actual stock corresponds to supporting records, and records are properly maintained and up to date,” stated the Auditor-General.
The audit revealed discrepancies between the stock numbers recorded in the stock sheets and those counted during physical verification.
These variances were primarily attributed to “untimely updating of incoming and outgoing stock details on the mSupply Software.”
The Auditor General recommends that the FPBS “ensure that stock movements are updated in the mSupply software system on time” to address these recurring issues and improve inventory accuracy.
In response, the ministry acknowledged the audit findings and outlined corrective measures.
Management noted that “mSupply automatically updates once customer invoices are created” and is actively “working on identifying gaps and ensuring SOP are followed”.
Additionally, the FPBS is transitioning to an upgraded system.
“Currently pushing of mSupply upgraded with Open mSupply, integrating Tablets with Desktop for efficiency and immediate updates in the system. This upgrade is expected to ‘decrease a lot of inventory errors and more opportunities for proper decision making’.”