TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluation of medicine retail outlets for sale of typhoid fever vaccine among adults in two urban and rural settings in western Kenya
T2 - a proof-of-concept study
AU - Ho, Julius
AU - Odhiambo, Gladys
AU - Meng'anyi, Lucy W.
AU - Musuva, Rosemary M.
AU - Mule, Joseph M.
AU - Alaly, Zakayo S.
AU - Odiere, Maurice R.
AU - Mwinzi, Pauline N.
AU - Ganley-Leal, Lisa
N1 - Funding Information:
We appreciate the support from the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, and the local provincial administration in Kakamega and Kisumu. We thank members of the community, outlet keepers and nurses that participated in this study. We also thank Mr. John Sande for his assistance in community sensitization (road shows, posters) and other field logistics.
Funding Information:
The study was carried out with funding from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Round 8 (LG-L) and the Summer Assistantship program at Alpert Medical School (JH).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 The Author(s).
PY - 2016/9/29
Y1 - 2016/9/29
N2 - Background: Private sector medicine outlets are an important provider of health services across the developing world, and are an untapped means of distributing and selling vaccines outside of childhood immunization programs. The present study assessed the viability of medicine outlets (chemists and pharmacies) as potential channels for sale of vaccines. Methods: To evaluate the viability of the medicine outlet model, we partnered with nine outlets across urban and rural communities in western Kenya to sell a nurse-administered typhoid vaccine. Purchasers were surveyed to reveal market demographic characteristics, reasons for vaccine purchase, and sources of information about the program. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions defined acceptability, demand, and additional suggestions for improving this mechanism of selling and distributing vaccines. Results: There was a higher than expected demand for the vaccine that resulted in stock-outs. Previous instance of typhoid, desire to prevent disease, affordable price and convenience were cited by most participants as main reasons for purchase of vaccine at the local outlet. The most common source of information on the vaccine sale was word-of-mouth and referral from friends. Longer vaccine sale duration, adequate stocking of vaccines and extended hours of administration in the evening to allow working individuals to buy vaccines were cited by participants as ways for improved participation in the future. Conclusions: This study demonstrated a high demand for vaccines at community medicine outlets. Important insights on how to improve and sustain such a program included extension of distribution time, education of outlet keepers, and minimizing vaccine stockouts. With improved social marketing, infrastructure mapping, education and pricing schemes, medicine outlets could become a sustainable avenue for selling adult vaccines in emerging markets for both routine and pandemic vaccines.
AB - Background: Private sector medicine outlets are an important provider of health services across the developing world, and are an untapped means of distributing and selling vaccines outside of childhood immunization programs. The present study assessed the viability of medicine outlets (chemists and pharmacies) as potential channels for sale of vaccines. Methods: To evaluate the viability of the medicine outlet model, we partnered with nine outlets across urban and rural communities in western Kenya to sell a nurse-administered typhoid vaccine. Purchasers were surveyed to reveal market demographic characteristics, reasons for vaccine purchase, and sources of information about the program. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions defined acceptability, demand, and additional suggestions for improving this mechanism of selling and distributing vaccines. Results: There was a higher than expected demand for the vaccine that resulted in stock-outs. Previous instance of typhoid, desire to prevent disease, affordable price and convenience were cited by most participants as main reasons for purchase of vaccine at the local outlet. The most common source of information on the vaccine sale was word-of-mouth and referral from friends. Longer vaccine sale duration, adequate stocking of vaccines and extended hours of administration in the evening to allow working individuals to buy vaccines were cited by participants as ways for improved participation in the future. Conclusions: This study demonstrated a high demand for vaccines at community medicine outlets. Important insights on how to improve and sustain such a program included extension of distribution time, education of outlet keepers, and minimizing vaccine stockouts. With improved social marketing, infrastructure mapping, education and pricing schemes, medicine outlets could become a sustainable avenue for selling adult vaccines in emerging markets for both routine and pandemic vaccines.
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U2 - 10.1186/s12913-016-1788-5
DO - 10.1186/s12913-016-1788-5
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84989906183
SN - 1472-6963
VL - 16
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - BMC health services research
JF - BMC health services research
IS - 1
M1 - 527
ER -