Industry overview
The pharmacy industry in East and West Africa encompasses community and hospital pharmacies, chemists, accredited drug shops, and increasingly digital pharmacies and delivery platforms. It spans both public and private retail channels, covering prescription medicines, OTC products, and health & wellness retail.
In both East and West Africa, the pharmacy supply chain typically begins with imported drugs (local manufacturing is increasing in select countries), which are then distributed to wholesalers and distributors, and subsequently to retail pharmacies. In many markets, heavy import dependence and fragmented wholesale networks shape pricing and availability. The downstream retail (pharmacies to consumers) layer is where trust and last-mile access are won or lost, especially given the persistent risk of substandard/counterfeit products.
Pharmacies also function as frontline access points to primary health care, not merely dispensing facilities. In markets such as Kenya, drugstores are commonly the first point of care, supporting self-care, triage, and basic health
