Effect of Lead Time on the Efficient Delivery of Essential Drugs in Kenya: A Case Study of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority

The study sought to investigate the effect of lead time on the delivery of essential drugs in Kenya with special reference to KEMSA. More specifically, the study sought to examine the effect of lead time, Mean Time To Repair (MTTR), Optimal planned lead time and Just-in-Time (JIT) inventory the delivery of essential drugs in Kenya. This study took the descriptive research design. The target population for the study was the procurement and distribution directorates at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority, with a population of 160 employees. The determined sample size is 115 respondents out of a target population of 160. The study used primary data which was largely quantitative and descriptive in nature collected by use of structured questionnaires. After data collection, the filled-in and returned questionnaires were edited for completeness, coded and entries made into SPSS (version 21). Both descriptive and inferential analyses were then conducted. Findings revealed a positive correlation is seen between the each lead time variable and delivery performance. The strongest correlation was established between Optimal planned lead time and delivery performance, and the weaker relationship found between Just-in-Time inventory and delivery performance. MTTR and Waiting time are also strongly and positively correlated with performance respectively