Contracting retail pharmacies as a source of essential medicines for public sector clients in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review of key considerations, challenges, and opportunities.

Background: Insurances in high-income countries (HIC) often contract with private community pharmacies to dispense medicines to outpatients. In contrast, dispensing of medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often lacks such contractual arrangements. Furthermore, many LMICs lack sufficient investment in supply chains and financial and human resources to guarantee stock levels and services at public medicine-dispensing institutions.

Digital Health Technologies Applied by the Pharmaceutical Industry to Improve Access to Noncommunicable Disease Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Background: There is limited research on how digital health technologies (DHTs) are used to promote access to care for patients with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We describe the use of DHTs in pharmaceutical industry-led access programs aimed at improving access to NCD care in LMICs.

Methods: The Access Observatory is the largest publicly available repository containing detailed information about pharmaceutical industry-led access programs targeting NCDs.