USAID MTaPS WEBINAR SERIES: Retail Drug Outlets in LMICs: Unlocking their Potential for Equitable Access to Quality Healthcare Services
USAID MTaPS is hosting a five-part webinar series, June 8, 2022 to July 6, 2022, convening experts from across the globe to discuss and shape a practical pathway for advancing equitable access to quality pharmacy services through the private sector (read blog for background).
The insights gathered from the series will be supplemented with a targeted literature review to produce a technical brief on essential elements to consider for improving equitable access to quality pharmacy services through the private sector.
MODERATOR: Tamara Hafner, PhD, Research Principal Technical Advisor, USAID MTaPS
Webinar I: Promoting Good Pharmacy Practice
Date: Wednesday, June 8, 8:00–9:30 AM ET
This session focused on the gaps and the necessary steps to meet Good Pharmacy Practice standards in the private sector and the importance of regulation in improving pharmacy service quality and its potential equity impact.
PANELISTS
- Birna Trap, Country Program Director, USAID MTaPS Nepal
- Catherine Goodman, PhD, Professor in Health Economics and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- Azad Kalam, Director, Better Health Bangladesh
- Muhammad Lukwago, Uganda National Drug Authority
- Edson Ireeta Munanura, Secretary, Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda
Webinar 2: Successful interventions for reaching the most vulnerable
Date: Thursday, June 16, 8:00–9:30 AM ET
This discussion will center on proven strategies implementing organizations have used to improve access to medicines for the most vulnerable and the effect of select interventions on improving access for the rural and urban poor.
PANELISTS
- Ann Phoya, Chief of Party, USAID ONSE Health Activity
- Veronika Wirtz, Professor, Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health
- Robert Tuala Tuala, Country Program Director, USAID MTaPS DRC
- Daniel Mwaura, Retail Pharmacy Owner, Nairobi, Kenya
Webinar 3: Innovations in patient-centered pharmacy services
Date: Wednesday, June 22, 8:00–9:30 AM ET
The focus will be on the opportunities provided by e-pharmacy and other market-disruptive innovations in patient-centered care, particularly for the most vulnerable, recognizing the need to regulate and monitor e-pharmacies to help ensure patient safety.
PANELISTS
- Remi Adeseun, Director, Salient Advisory
- Francis Wafula, Professor, Strathmore University, Kenya
- Josselyn Neukom, Senior Vice President, Public Health, mClinica/SwipeRx
- Fanie Hendriksz, Managing Director, Right ePharmacy
- Wilfred Ochieng, Director of Pharmacy Practice, Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Kenya
Webinar 4: Financing access to pharmacy services
Date: Wednesday, June 29, 8:00–9:30 AM ET
This webinar will explore different financing models for pharmacy services and some of the financial incentives for engaging the private sector to be good partners to the public sector in the provision of quality pharmacy services.
PANELISTS
- Jafary Liana, Pharmaceutical Advisor, Apotheker Consultancy, Tanzania
- Neto Ikpeme, Founder/CEO, Wella Health, Nigeria
- Olumide Okunola, Senior Health Specialist, World Bank Group, Nigeria
- Elizabeth Shekalaghe, Registrar, Pharmacy Council, Tanzania
Webinar 5: Capstone: Defining a pathway to equitable access to quality pharmacy services
Date: Wednesday, July 6, 8:00–9:30 AM ET
The last webinar in the series will share reflections on lessons learned from the series and conclude with some of the essential elements for achieving equitable access to quality pharmacy services.
PANELISTS
- Kofi Aboagye-Nyame, Program Director, USAID MTaPS
- Alexis Leonard, USAID Contracting Officer’s Representative Lead for MTaPS and Senior Health Systems Technical Advisor
- Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar, Professor in Medicines and Healthcare, University of Huddersfield
- Richard Neci, Executive Director, Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network
- Ndinda Kusu, Country Program Director, USAID MTaPS Kenya