Abstract
Based on case studies from three HICs (Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom [UK]) and four LMICs (Argentina, Brazil, Ghana, and Namibia), and an extensive literature review, we developed this thought leadership paper on the use of retail pharmacies in LMICs as a dispensing source of essential medicines (EM) including family planning (FP) products for patients visiting public sector providers. The objectives of this paper are to complement previous work by
1. Identifying the advantages and disadvantages of contracting private pharmacies to deliver EM for public sector clients in LMICs
2. Describing promising policies and strategies for using retail pharmacies to deliver EM for public sector clients in LMICs
