ArticleBMC health services research2021
Pharmacies in informal settlements: a retrospective, cross-sectional household and health facility survey in four countries.
Article in BMC health services research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
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17 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- What happens when public primary care is ill-prepared to respond to non-communicable diseases: a mixed-method study of diabetes and hypertension care in urban Nepal.Journal of global health · 2026Article
- Intersectional inequalities in healthcare utilisation in informal settlements in Freetown, Sierra Leone: a multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy (MAIHDA).International journal for equity in health · 2026Article
- Unlocking the potential of community pharmacies to address hypertension in South Asia: the COPE-BP programme.Journal of global health · 2026Article
- From informal practice to structured care: pharmaceutical indication and minor ailment management in Latin American community pharmacy.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Exploring factors affecting access to non-communicable disease medicines in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- Governing access to medicines in Central America: community pharmacy, patient safety, and lessons from Spain.Frontiers in health services · 2026Article
- Building linkages between private pharmacies and public facilities to improve diabetes and hypertension care in urban areas of Nepal: a protocol for implementation research.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2025Article
- Knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance among urban slum dwellers in Uganda.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2025Article
- Community leaders' perspectives on linking formal and informal health providers in Nigerian urban slums: a qualitative study.Discover social science and health · 2025Article
- Article
- Understanding factors influencing home pregnancy test use among women in western Kenya: A qualitative analysis.Frontiers in reproductive health · 2023Article
- Community and facility-level barriers to achieving UHC in Kono District, Sierra Leone and Maryland County, Liberia.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
- Perceived quality of care and choice of healthcare provider in informal settlements.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
- Health care seeking in modern urban LMIC settings: evidence from Lusaka, Zambia.BMC public health · 2022Article
- Article
- Inequity of healthcare access and use and catastrophic health spending in slum communities: a retrospective, cross-sectional survey in four countries.BMJ global health · 2021Article
- Drivers and strategies to combat substandard and falsified medicines in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review of qualitative evidence.The journal of medicine accessReview
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSlums or informal settlements characterize most large cities in LMIC. Previous evidence suggests pharmacies may be the most frequently used source of primary care in LMICs but that pharmacy services are of variable quality. However, evidence on pharmacy use and availability is very limited for slum populations.
methodsWe conducted household, individual, and healthcare provider surveys and qualitative observations on pharmacies and pharmacy use in seven slum sites in four countries (Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan, and Bangladesh). All pharmacies and up to 1200 households in each site were sampled. Adults and children were surveyed about their use of healthcare services and pharmacies were observed and their services, equipment, and stock documented.
resultsWe completed 7692 household and 7451 individual adults, 2633 individual child surveys, and 157 surveys of pharmacies located within the seven sites. Visit rates to pharmacies and drug sellers varied from 0.1 (Nigeria) to 3.0 (Bangladesh) visits per person-year, almost all of which were for new conditions. We found highly variable conditions in what constituted a "pharmacy" across the sites and most pharmacies did not employ a qualified pharmacist. Analgesics and antibiotics were widely available but other categories of medications, particularly those for chronic illness were often not available anywhere. The majority of pharmacies lacked basic equipment such as a thermometer and weighing scales.
conclusionsPharmacies are locally and widely available to residents of slums. However, the conditions of the facilities and availability of medicines were poor and prices relatively high. Pharmacies may represent a large untapped resource to improving access to primary care for the urban poor.
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