Advancing Patient-Centered Care in Ghana's Community Pharmacies: A Digital Health Approach.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Public Health
• Health Systems Strengthening

Background:

• Community pharmacies in Ghana are vital healthcare access points.
• Current pharmacy services often prioritize medication dispensing over comprehensive patient-centered care.
• There is a need to enhance the role of pharmacies in delivering broader healthcare services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key drivers of patient satisfaction in Ghanaian community pharmacies.
• To propose a strategic framework for transforming pharmacies into comprehensive healthcare hubs.
• To address challenges hindering the expansion of pharmacy services in low-resource environments.

Main Methods:

• Stakeholder engagement to identify 21 key drivers of patient satisfaction.
• Development of a three-part strategy including a digital health platform, a pharmacy performance assessment tool, and a cleaning and hygiene checklist.
• Analysis of challenges such as digital literacy, infrastructure, and staff training.

Main Results:

• Identification of 21 critical factors influencing patient satisfaction.
• Proposal of an integrated strategy to enhance service quality, accessibility, product availability, and patient engagement.
• Recognition of barriers including digital literacy, infrastructure, and training needs.

Conclusions:

• Community pharmacies have the potential to evolve into multifaceted healthcare hubs.
• The proposed strategy offers a scalable model for improving pharmacy services in resource-limited settings.
• Addressing identified challenges is crucial for sustainable enhancement of pharmacy-based healthcare delivery.