Drug stockouts in hospitals pose significant risks to service quality, patient safety, and operational efficiency. This study aimed to analyze how drug demand planning and procurement processes at Johar Baru Regional General Hospital contribute to stockout occurrences and to develop data-driven recommendations based on supply chain management principles. A qualitative descriptive design was employed using data triangulation. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the Head of the Pharmacy Installation, procurement staff, and warehouse pharmacists, complemented by direct observation and analysis of 2024 planning and procurement documents. Thematic analysis was conducted with the support of NVivo software to identify patterns and relationships among key variables, including drug demand planning, procurement, and inventory management.Findings reveal that stockouts stem from interconnected weaknesses in planning accuracy, procurement coordination, and inventory control systems. Effective stock management depends not only on increasing supply but also on improving data quality, integrating inventory information systems with operational workflows, and enhancing cross-functional collaboration. Recommended strategies include implementing a minimum stock alert system integrated with the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS), strengthening standard operating procedures for stockout response and procurement confirmation, improving integration between HMIS, the National Formulary, and budgeting systems, and applying consumption based planning methods combined with ABC VEN analysis to optimize inventory control.
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