The Central Medical Stores Trust [CMST] was established by the Government of Malawi (GOM) in November 2010 by General Notice Number 125/1968 of the Finance and Audit Act. It replaced the Central Medical Stores, an operational arm of the Ministry of Health [MOH] since 1968. 

Revision of the legal status of the then Central Medical Stores (CMS) to become a Public Trust was initiated in early 2000.

Following Cabinet approval of the Trust Deed in October 2008, the CMST Board of Trustees was appointed in November 2010 and revocation of the 1968 Medical Stores Fund Order followed in July 2011. Registration of the Central Medical Stores as a Public Trust was in August 2011.

The Trust however only became fully functional in 2012 after the recruitment of its Chief Executive Officer, Director of Finance and Administration, Director of Corporate Services and Director of Pharmaceutical Operations.

The Trust inherited various operational, financial, management and governance challenges which had plagued the functioning of its predecessor organization and led to serious drug shortages at whose highpoint culminated in 95% out-of-stock in January 2013.