Maryrose U Nnamani , Ijeoma N Ebenebe, Angus N Oli, Chidimma R Chukwunwejim, Charles O Esimone

Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria;

For correspondence:-  Maryrose Nnamani   Email: olirose2012@gmail.com

Received: 6 June 2026        Accepted: 16 September 2026        Published: 30 September 2026

Citation: Nnamani MU, Ebenebe IN, Oli AN, Chukwunwejim CR, Esimone CO. Assessment of the effect of cold chain infrastructure on insulin storage and distribution in Anambra State, Nigeria. Trop J Pharm Res 2026; 25(9):1285-1295 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v25i9.12

© 2026 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To assess cold chain infrastructure and its influence on insulin storage and distribution across some selected facilities in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Methods: This study adopted a cross-sectional design and employed a purposive sampling technique to select 27 facilities across 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the State. The facilities selected included hospitals and pharmacies where insulin is actively stored and/or dispensed to patients. Elitech RC-5 digital data loggers and a structured questionnaire were used to obtain temperature and cold chain handling data from the facilities.

Results: The findings revealed that there was a high level of deviation from the recommended storage temperature as recorded by the facilities, and that none of the facilities achieved adequate cold chain performance, while 92.59 and 7.41 % of facilities were classified as poor and marginal, respectively. The results also showed that the majority of facilities recorded very high temperature excursions, and that the overall monitoring outcomes revealed that only 22.81 % of the time of monitoring fully complied with the recommended temperature range.

Conclusion: The widespread inefficiencies in cold chain have been highlighted and the need for urgent policy and regulatory interventions has been proposed

Keywords: Cold chain management, Cold chain performance, Healthcare infrastructure, Insulin storage, Temperature data logger, Temperature monitoring

Impact Factor
Thompson Reuters (ISI): 0.6 (2023)
H-5 index (Google Scholar): 49 (2023)