ArticlePloS one2025
Leveraging a digital network of pharmacy professionals to test a technology-assisted model to improve pharmacy access to quality-assured COVID-19 rapid antigen tests approved for self-use in Vietnam.
Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Expanding access to rapid and self-use diagnostics in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) is crucial for advancing universal health coverage and creating more self-care opportunities. This study aimed to test the ability of a technology-assisted pharmacy activation model in Vietnam to improve access to quality-assured COVID-19 self-tests through the retail pharmacy channel. SwipeRx, a digital network with more than 30,000 pharmacy professionals in Vietnam, was leveraged to raise awareness about the benefits of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (Ag-RDTs) that meet quality assurance standards for self-use and were registered with the Vietnamese regulatory authority. The campaigns also included information on local suppliers of Humasis and Flowflex self-test products, offering favorable pricing terms for SwipeRx users. In addition, offline pharmacy training and point-of-sale materials were provided to encourage dispensing, counseling, and restocking of at least one locally registered self-use Ag-RDT for COVID-19. After nine months of engagement between 2022 and 2023, a digital survey was conducted among 331 retail pharmacies to assess the impact on knowledge and practices related to COVID-19 self-tests. Pharmacy professionals who received SwipeRx training reported greater confidence and knowledge in stocking, dispensing, and counseling clients on the proper use of COVID-19 self-tests. These trained professionals were also more capable of distinguishing between COVID-19 Ag-RDTs approved for self-use and those approved for professional use. By the end of the nine months, 70 (92%) of trained pharmacy professionals stocked at least one quality-assured self-test for COVID-19, compared to just 38 (29%) of untrained professionals. These findings demonstrate that digital pharmacy networks can rapidly facilitate market introduction and access to new diagnostic products. Future initiatives should prioritize continuous price negotiations with manufacturers and distributors, focusing on optimizing pricing, credit, and delivery terms for community pharmacies. Additionally, combining digital and offline training with community demand-generating activities could facilitate greater pharmacy uptake of Ag-RDTs and other prioritized public health products.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.