Situation
In several Francophone West African countries—including Senegal, Ivory Coast and Togo—regulations restrict pharmacists from administering injectable contraceptives and implants. This regulatory barrier significantly limits women’s access to contraception, forcing them to navigate overcrowded clinics, travel long distances or abandon care altogether.
Assignment
As project lead with DKT International, the mandate was to use a Human-Centered Design approach to develop a feasible contraceptive service delivery model that would allow pharmacists to safely and effectively provide these methods—reducing barriers, improving privacy and expanding access for women.
Approach
As project lead with DKT International, the mandate was to use a Human-Centered Design approach to develop a feasible contraceptive service delivery model that would allow pharmacists to safely and effectively provide these methods—reducing barriers, improving privacy and expanding access for women.
Result
Three core components were delivered:
• Pharmacist training modules on contraceptive counselling, administration techniques and client-centred communication.
• A client record management app enabling secure, efficient and confidential tracking of contraceptive users across pharmacies.
• An in-pharmacy service provision box, designed to create a private, dignified space for counselling and administration.
Together, these elements form a scalable, pharmacy-based contraceptive service model that enhances women’s access and strengthens the role of pharmacists in community-based reproductive health care.