A computer-based ordering system for supplies in national tuberculosis programs.

Abstract

SETTING: National tuberculosis programs in need of budgeting and planning for supplies. OBJECTIVE: To assist national managers to rationally and rapidly determine needs in supplies and their costs for the national tuberculosis program. METHODS: A spreadsheet has been developed to calculate needs in supplies for tuberculosis control based on the number of nationally notified cases. The spreadsheet has 3 interdependent basic components that need to be modified. The first component requires an update of exchange rates of currencies from countries which are major suppliers for program materials. The second component contains a list of commonly used treatment regimens in national programs and their cost. The number of reported tuberculosis cases for the last complete reporting half-year on then corresponding regimens needs to be provided. The third component lists supplies for diagnosis and treatment and the costs of these to the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD). The information required here includes (after updating the country-specific list of suppliers and the cost of their material) the current stock in supplies and editing the resulting suggestion for orders according to needs and convenience of unit size. RESULTS: The spreadsheet suggests the ordering size of supplies for consumption and reserve. Based on input provided by the user, it will turn out estimates of the cost of the order for supplies in diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Computers are coming increasingly into use at the national level of many tuberculosis programs in low income countries. This spreadsheet, available from the IUATLD, is designed to provide national managers with the background on how to calculate needs for supplies and to provide them with a simple tool to assess these needs and their costs rapidly.