The transition to universal health coverage in low and middle-income countries: new opportunities for community pharmacists

The transition towards universal health coverage (UHC) in several low and middle-income countries (LMICs) has been with the intent of improving accessibility and affordability of healthcare [1]. South Africa is one example of an LMIC that has been progressively moving towards the implementation of a National Health Insurance (NHI). The NHI aims to provide a comprehensive, integrated, and accessible universal tax-funded system across all socio-economic groups in South Africa [2]. The NHI was first proposed in 1994; but it was only between 2012 and 2017 that the implementation phase of the NHI commenced. In August 2019, the NHI bill was introduced to parliament and is currently under consideration by the National Assembly of South Africa’s portfolio committee [3]. The successful implementation of the NHI requires widespread collaboration as well as a complete reassessment of roles and practices of pharmacists, to better align with the needs of UHC [4]. Using South Africa as an example, this article aims to highlight some of the underutilized services that community pharmacists in LMICs could provide to aid in the successful implementation of UHC.

The transition towards universal health coverage (UHC) in several low and middle-income countries (LMICs) has been with the intent of improving accessibility and affordability of healthcare [1]. South Africa is one example of an LMIC that has been progressively moving towards the implementation of a National Health Insurance (NHI). The NHI aims to provide a comprehensive, integrated, and accessible universal tax-funded system across all socio-economic groups in South Africa [2]. The NHI was first proposed in 1994; but it was only between 2012 and 2017 that the implementation phase of the NHI commenced. In August 2019, the NHI bill was introduced to parliament and is currently under consideration by the National Assembly of South Africa’s portfolio committee [3]. The successful implementation of the NHI requires widespread collaboration as well as a complete reassessment of roles and practices of pharmacists, to better align with the needs of UHC [4]. Using South Africa as an example, this article aims to highlight some of the underutilized services that community pharmacists in LMICs could provide to aid in the successful implementation of UHC.