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. 2022 Jun 28;12(6):e058688.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058688.

Experiences of and response to the COVID-19 pandemic at private retail pharmacies in Kenya: a mixed-methods study

Peter Mwangi Mugo  1   2 , Audrey Mumbi  3 , Daniella Munene  4 , Jacinta Nzinga  3   2 , Sassy Molyneux  2   5 , Edwine Barasa  3   5 ; PSK COVID-19 Response Taskforce
Collaborators, Affiliations

Experiences of and response to the COVID-19 pandemic at private retail pharmacies in Kenya: a mixed-methods study

Peter Mwangi Mugo et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objectives: To assess experiences of and response to the COVID-19 pandemic at community pharmacies in Kenya.

Design, setting and participants: This was a mixed-methods study conducted from November 2020 to April 2021, targeting service providers in three counties (Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu), selected purposively to represent the main urban centres; pharmacies were selected randomly from a list of licensed pharmacies.

Results: Of 195 sampled pharmacies, 108 (55%) completed a questionnaire and 103 (53%) received a simulated client call; 18 service providers were interviewed. The initial weeks of the pandemic were characterised by fear and panic among service providers and a surge in client flow. Subsequently, 65 (60%) of 108 pharmacies experienced a dip in demand to below prepandemic levels and 34 (31%) reported challenges with unavailability, high price and poor quality of products. Almost all pharmacies were actively providing preventive materials and therapies; educating clients on prevention measures; counselling anxious clients; and handling and referring suspect cases. Fifty-nine pharmacies (55% (95% CI 45% to 65%)) reported receiving a client asking for COVID-19 testing and a similar proportion stated they would support pharmacy-based testing if implemented. For treatment of simulated clients, most pharmacies (71%, 73 of 103) recommended alternative therapies and nutritional supplements such as vitamin C; the rest recommended conventional therapies such as antibiotics. While 52 (48%) of 108 pharmacies had at least one staff member trained on COVID-19, a general feeling of disconnection from the national programme prevailed.

Conclusions: Private pharmacies in Kenya were actively contributing to the COVID-19 response, but more deliberate engagement, support and linkages are required. Notably, there is an urgent need to develop guidelines for pharmacy-based COVID-19 testing, a service that is clearly needed and which could greatly increase test coverage. Pharmacy-based COVID-19 programmes should be accompanied with implementation research to inform current and future pandemic responses.

Keywords: COVID-19; PRIMARY CARE; PUBLIC HEALTH; Public health; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH; Quality in health care.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Challenges experienced by pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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