Celebrating pharmacists around the world

On September 25, we celebrated World Pharmacists Day with the theme "Pharmacists are your medicine experts." SHOPS Plus works with private providers around the world, and pharmacists play a key role in delivering health services and information.

Take a look at some of the work SHOPS Plus is doing with pharmacists:

Advocating for change at the East Africa Healthcare Federation Conference

Emerging evidence suggests drug shops can safely deliver many short-acting methods of family planning, including injectable contraceptives, at similar levels of quality and lower costs than higher-level facilities. Donors and governments seeking to increase the use of modern contraceptive methods in pursuit of FP2020 and other national goals could look to expand the role of pharmacies and drug shops. Read more. 

Ending tuberculosis in Nigeria through provider networks and behavior change

The SHOPS Plus project is working with the national TB program and private providers in Lagos and Kano states to build a network of private providers in each state, including community pharmacists , that will rapidly increase the case detection rate for TB. Read more. 

Benchmarking regulations for pharmacies and drug shops

SHOPS Plus conducted a scan of 32 USAID priority countries to understand better the rules and regulations that shape how pharmacies and drug shops operate, and the modern family planning methods they can provide. The report, intended for donors and program implementers, provides a framework that can be used as a way to benchmark the regulatory environment of specific countries. Read the full report.