Digital Health, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 11
Published: Jan. 1, 2025
Objective With the ongoing push for greater digitalization of healthcare in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), larger questions around who will benefit most from such efforts what elements disparities inequities may further be created or reinforced are often overlooked. This study was undertaken to assess a pioneering e-pharmacy initiative Ghana that aimed explore issues access relation pharmaceutical services. Method The used qualitative research design where semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually with 21 licensed community pharmacists recruited through purposive snowball sampling techniques. data analyzed using inductive thematic analysis approach. Results Pharmacists recognized transformative potential e-pharmacies, particularly resource constrained regions face pharmacy deserts. However, drawing on their experiential knowledge, they highlighted paradoxes challenges promoting country characterized by poor infrastructure, poverty, multiple intersecting layers inequities, as well digital divides low digital/health literacy. In absence adequate funding support regulation, possibility local pharmacies, first point care, being replaced big corporations feared. Participants also cautioned steer discourse away access, pricing, convenience safety quality. Conclusion Digitalization e-pharmacies holds tremendous LMICs. technological initiatives, if implemented without proper groundwork support, would run risk creating exacerbating health disparities, especially sub-Saharan Africa. A bottom-up approach, grassroot engagement implementation science, tethered building safe, affordable, equitable infrastructure care essential success other initiatives region beyond. has direct implications public health, policy, care.
Language: Английский