Medical Stores Department (MSD) was established by the Act of Parliament No.13 of 1993 as an autonomous department under the Ministry of Health, Social Development, Gender, Elderly and Children responsible for develop, maintain and manage an efficient and cost effective system of procurement, storage and distribution of approved medicines and medical supplies required for use by the public health services as the Ministry of Health, Social Development, Gender, Elderly and Children may from time to time approve.

The Medical Stores Department is a parastatal agency wholly owned by the Government of Tanzania.

The company is an autonomous agency under the Ministry of Health and is governed by a board of trustees.

The department operates through eight zonal stores in Dar-es-salaam, Mwanza, Iringa, Moshi, Mbeya, Tabora, Dodoma and Mtwara supported by two Sales Points in Tanga and Muleba.

MSD is annually audited by CAG and has fully-fledged competent internal audit Unit that oversees internal controls effectiveness of each individual store and its supply chain.