Electronic medicine management systems in developing countries: A landscape review.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Global Health
• Pharmaceutical Management

Background:

• Suboptimal medicine use incurs significant global health costs and causes patient harm.
• Electronic medicines management systems (EMMS) offer a solution to improve safe and efficient medicine use.
• Developing countries face unique challenges in healthcare digitization, yet some have successfully implemented digital health solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically map the landscape of EMMS implementation and use in developing countries (DCs).
• To identify trends, settings, functionalities, and common use-cases of EMMS in DCs.
• To provide insights for policymakers and healthcare leaders to guide strategy and funding for digital health initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of six bibliographic databases up to October 23, 2024.
• Inclusion of studies reporting EMMS implementation/use in countries with a Human Development Index (HDI) lower than 'very high'.
• Qualitative and quantitative data summarization, including geographic location, healthcare setting, system functionality, and integration with other health data (e.g., EHRs).
• Creation of an interactive map to visualize spatial and temporal trends.

Main Results:

• 314 records detailed EMMS use in 45 DCs, with 206 integrated with other health data like EHRs.
• EMMS were predominantly used for prescribing (264 studies) and dispensing (66 studies), mainly in secondary care settings.
• Systems were typically locally operated, with common applications in adherence monitoring for HIV and tuberculosis treatment.
• Findings revealed both widespread adoption and persistent implementation gaps.

Conclusions:

• EMMS adoption is common in DCs, frequently alongside EHRs, indicating progress in healthcare digitization.
• Leveraging existing EMMS can enhance service planning, healthcare delivery, and medicine use optimization.
• The study provides a roadmap for implementing EMMS in resource-limited settings and emphasizes the potential of interoperability for improved patient outcomes.