title: Optimizing national immunization program supply chain management in Thailand: an economic analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to conduct an economic analysis of the transition of the conventional vaccine supply and logistics systems to the vendor managed inventory (VMI) system in Thailand.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cost analysis of health care program.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ingredients based approach was used to design the survey and collect data for an economic analysis of the immunization supply and logistics systems covering procurement, storage and distribution of vaccines from the central level to the lowest level of vaccine administration facility. Costs were presented in 2010 US dollar.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total cost of the vaccination program including cost of vaccine procured and logistics under the conventional system was US$0.60 per packed volume procured (cm(3)) and US$1.35 per dose procured compared to US$0.66 per packed volume procured (cm(3)) and US$1.43 per dose procured under the VMI system. However, the findings revealed that the transition to the VMI system and outsourcing of the supply chain system reduced the cost of immunization program at US$6.6 million per year because of reduction of un-opened vaccine wastage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings demonstrated that the new supply chain system would result in efficiency improvement and potential savings to the immunization program compared to the conventional system.
authors.affiliation: Division of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. Electronic address: arthorn.rie@mahidol.ac.th.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riewpaiboon
authors.affiliation: Division of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sooksriwong
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia; Center of Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research (CPOR), Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand; School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA; School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chaiyakunapruk
authors.affiliation: Bureau of General Communicable Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tharmaphornpilas
authors.affiliation: Bureau of General Communicable Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Techathawat
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Administration, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90112, Thailand.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rookkapan
authors.affiliation: Bureau of General Communicable Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rasdjarmrearnsook
authors.affiliation: United States Agency for International Development, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suraratdecha
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013785:Thailand; D014611:Vaccination / Q000191:economics*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000191:economics* / Q000600:supply & distribution*
chemical_list: D014612:Vaccines
keywords: Cost analysis; Logistics; National immunization program; Thailand