Community pharmacies in Africa serve as crucial points of care, especially in rural and underserved areas. In Nigeria, for instance, pharmacies account for approximately 50% of primary healthcare facilities, handling about 70% of registered care visits. This trend occurs in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Pharmacies there play a vital role in sexual and reproductive health services.
There is a shortage of physicians. There is also ongoing emigration of healthcare professionals. Expanding the role of pharmacists can address local health needs and improve patient access. Globally, pharmacists are taking on more responsibilities beyond dispensing medications. In countries like France and the UK, they provide consultations and manage chronic conditions independently, which helps alleviate physician workloads. In the USA, Australia, Canada, and Portugal, pharmacists are also involved in administering vaccinations.
Similar developments are occurring in Africa. Countries like Nigeria and South Africa are implementing policies that allow pharmacists to administer contraceptives. They also participate in vaccination campaigns, including COVID-19 efforts. Despite these advancements, the integration of pharmacies into the broader healthcare delivery system remains limited across the continent.
To effectively leverage pharmacists in healthcare delivery, Africa must enhance pharmacy education, create supportive regulatory frameworks, and adopt technology-driven solutions. These changes are essential for equipping the next generation of pharmacists. They will enable pharmacists to deliver care at scale. These changes will also improve health outcomes across the region.
Creating enabling regulatory frameworks
Governments must establish enabling policy and regulatory frameworks. These include the NHS Long Term Plan and the French Law on Hospital Reform. These frameworks allow pharmacists and pharmacies to provide a broader range of healthcare services. They also help integrate them into the primary healthcare infrastructure.
Ghana offers a great model to follow. In 2022, the Pharmacy Council of Ghana took a significant step in its regulatory digitisation drive. They launched the National Electronic Pharmacy Platform (NEPP). This centralised platform integrates hospitals, pharmacies, and other health players. It maintains a closed-loop system for prescription management. This ensures medication dispensing and product visibility.
Separately, a few countries are also updating pharmacy-related regulatory frameworks. Nigeria, Kenya, and Rwanda are all publishing new guidance. This guidance will govern the operations and adoption of online pharmacy solutions. However, more needs to be done. A 2023 review of e-Pharmacy regulatory frameworks showed that nearly 70% of featured African countries have no regulations in place.
Embracing tech-driven solutions
Pharmacies aren’t just uniquely positioned near patients – in some locations they’re also more likely to be digitally-enabled. A 2023 study on the digitisation of pharmacies in Lagos showed that 54% of pharmacies already use digital solutions. Pharmacies are outpacing other primary health providers.
Today, pharmacies mostly use digital platforms for payments and accounting. We know that globally, tech solutions are emerging to help transform pharmacy practice. In the US, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, automated dispensing systems like Right ePharmacy streamline medication dispensing. They minimize human errors. This allows pharmacists to focus more on patient care. Smart pill dispensers and adherence packaging also ensure appropriate medication use by patients.
Pharmacy-based innovations are also emerging across Africa. Companies like Grinta (Egypt) and Remedial Health (Nigeria) use data-driven systems. These systems enable pharmacies to monitor, restock, and finance inventory. As a result, they experience fewer stock-outs.
Online pharmacies like Yodawy in Egypt are expanding access to pharmacy services for underserved and remote populations. AI-powered chatbots like Nivi are operating in India, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. They are democratising access to accurate health information. Patient support program platforms such as Maisha Meds operate in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. They are providing reimbursement.
These innovations are achieving some traction. They are reaching 50,000 providers across the continent. More adoption is required to accelerate their impact on health outcomes.
What does the future hold?
Pharmacists are starting to recognise their multi-faceted potential as clinical professionals, businesspeople, and healthtech innovators. Governments are also recognising the latent potential of community pharmacies as key players in the drive toward patient-centered care. Donors and NGOs are starting to integrate traditional and online pharmacies into regular healthcare programming activities.
Optimising pharmacies as points of primary care delivery will require concerted efforts from key stakeholders. Governments need to reshape policies. Training systems need to be updated. Investors need to support promising tech-driven models that can transform access to healthcare and health products. National, regional and global health agencies must proactively include pharmacies and pharmacists in healthcare programs and agendas.
Africa’s health system challenges are well-documented. There is no silver bullet to leapfrog long-running challenges around primary healthcare access. Community pharmacies may yet prove to be a vital solution lying in plain sight