Giving Compass' Take:

• Lifestores Healthcare is innovating quality care in Nigeria by using technology to increase access for low-income neighborhoods and forging strategic partnerships with medical providers. 

• How can donors support international healthcare for regions in need? 

• Read more about the state of healthcare in Nigeria. 

A World Economic Outlook study showed that there are currently fewer than 25 pharmacies in Nigeria per million people. To put that into perspective, there are more Walgreens stores (over 8,000) in the United States than there are pharmacies in Nigeria (less than 5,000). If the United States seems an unfair comparison, consider that Ghana, a poorer country than Nigeria, has four times the number of pharmacies per capita as Nigeria.

This is partly due to the fact that many pharmacies are independently run and constrained to serve the wealthy since margins for this segment of the market are higher. As a result, tens of millions of Nigerians are left out of the market, unable to access affordable drugs.

But access to affordable drugs isn’t the only issue. In Nigeria pharmacies play an elevated role in delivering primary healthcare to the community, with people often treating pharmacists as the first port of call for many basic illnesses and health conditions.

Yet many pharmacies lack the systems and support to deliver timely and appropriate advice. They also struggle to capture patient data consistently, manage back-office operations, and provide value-added services for their patients.

Enter Lifestores Healthcare.

Lifestores Healthcare is democratizing healthcare access in under-served, low-income urban areas in Nigeria. By using technology to transform the effectiveness of pharmacies and securing partnerships with medication manufacturers, the Lifestores team aims to provide reliable and affordable medicines to more people. The team now operates three pharmacies in Lagos, Nigeria and has launched an affiliate program to support mom-and-pop dispensaries. It also operates a market-leading chronic management program, providing nurse-led coaching and discounted medicines for patients with chronic conditions such as hypertension or diabetes.

Read the full article about innovation in healthcare in Nigeria by Efosa Ojomo at Christensen Institute.