An exploratory study of the mandate and functions of national pharmaceutical services units: global trends and the cases of Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, and Nepal.

Background: National pharmaceutical services units (NPSUs) - organisational units within the central government usually responsible for pharmaceutical services and management - have an increasingly narrow mandate. Anecdotal evidence points to an increasing focus, almost exclusively, on logistics management, while pharmaceutical care and policy oversight have become fragmented. This study examined NPSUs' current functions and mandates, and proposed what should be the critical functions and roles of these units going forward.