Enhancing care transition performance of community pharmacies in Nigeria

Abstract

Community pharmacies (CPs) represent a crucial source of primary care for the Nigerian population. Pharmacists in this setting provide essential primary care services to the public and, when required, facilitate care transitions or referrals for patients to higher levels of care. Given their accessibility and expanding roles in patient care, pharmacists are considered pivotal to meeting the transition of care (TOC) goals, that is, continuity, quality, and safety, especially at the community level. However, CPs in Nigeria face significant systemic and human-factor barriers that impede their TOC performance, especially with their exclusion from the national care referral framework. Removing these barriers is essential to avoid the health consequences of a breakdown in the TOC system for the patients receiving care at the CPs. This paper discusses the barriers to effective TOC performance of the CPs in Nigeria and offers recommendations to address the deficiencies to improve patient care delivery using an inclusive and collaborative referral model.

Keywords: Nigeria; community pharmacy; intervention; primary care; referral; transition of care.