AP to Overhaul of Medical Supplies’ System at Government Hospitals

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh government is set to introduce sweeping reforms in its drug supply and monitoring system across government hospitals. It plans to enable the public to directly check availability of medicines through QR codes and mobile-based platforms. This will largely be done by strengthening the existing e-Aushadhi software platform with advanced technology, real-time monitoring, and public access features.

Authorities are also introducing automated alert systems to track medicine supplies, stock movement, and expiry timelines.

These reforms came up for discussions at a high-level review meeting at the Andhra Pradesh State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (APSMIDC) headquarters in Mangalagiri on Friday. Senior officials from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), New Delhi, attended the meeting convened at the initiative of AP Health minister Satya Kumar Yadav.

The state currently spends nearly ₹800 crore annually on medicines and surgical procurements, including around ₹600 crore worth of medicines supplied free of cost to poor patients in government hospitals. The procurement and distribution process is managed through the e-Aushadhi software, which has been in use since 2014.

Under the present system, pharmacists, medical officers, and hospital superintendents place medicine requirements through e-Aushadhi. Based on these indents, tenders are finalised. Selected firms supply medicines to the District Central Drug Stores, from where they are distributed to hospitals.

Officials observe that issues relating to medicine supply, utilisation tracking, and expiry monitoring are arising under the current system. Following directions from the minister, the government has decided to modernise the platform to improve transparency, accountability, and efficiency.

The visiting C-DAC team, including National Associate Director Shamshad Ansari, Principal Technical Officer Partha P. Chataraj, and Project Manager Mustaq Ahmed, reviewed the functioning of the existing system with state drug wing officials, pharmacists, and district monitoring authorities.

A key proposal is creation of public dashboards displaying real-time medicine stock positions from Ayushman Arogya Mandirs to teaching hospitals. A global dashboard is also being planned for senior officials to monitor statewide medicine availability.

The upgraded system will generate alerts for medicines nearing expiry, especially those with less than six months of shelf life remaining. Authorities are planning tighter monitoring of manufacturers and distributors to ensure medicines are supplied on time as per tender agreements.

Satya Kumar Yadav disclosed that the government is considering bringing AYUSH medicines under the e-Aushadhi network and integrating medicine stock details into the Mana Mitra app.