A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Masters of Science in Embedded and Mobile Systems (EMoS) of the Nelson Mandela
African Institution of Science and Technology
The right to the uppermost attainable standard of health is a fundamental human right. In everyday
life, mobile phones have become essential devices for most people in both developed and
developing countries. Paper-based ordering of medicines in the pharmaceutical industry is time
consuming and can enhance the spread of diseases such as COVID-19. Electronic ordering and
stock management can solve these challenges, but while it has been widely adopted in developed
countries, it remains underused in Tanzania. This study aimed to develop a mobile application
(DawaFasta) and web application which links wholesale and retail pharmacies in Tanzania, to
support electronic ordering and stock management. System and user requirements were collected
through questionnaires, interviews and observations from 105 wholesale and retail pharmacies in
Arusha, Dar es salaam and Kilimanjaro regions of Tanzania. The developed applications were
evaluated for acceptability and usability by 9 wholesale and 15 retail pharmacy personnel to assess
serviceability and usefulness. The results show that 96% found it very useful. The main reason is
to bridge the gap between wholesale and retail pharmacies and provide easy access to medications.
The 4% were not sure because they were unable to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate
online pharmacies. The application was assessed as having good usability for online pharmacy
business purposes by wholesale and retail pharmacies. This application would need further
development in order to raise awareness and add more features