In Mombasa County, where over 25,000 people living with HIV are served by the USAID Stawisha Pwani program, a growing challenge emerged: clients were increasingly missing their clinic appointments due to demanding work schedules, business commitments and the hustle of a fast-paced, tourism-driven economy.

Clients voiced concerns about long queues, limited clinic hours, and the time-consuming process of picking up antiretroviral therapy (ART) at public health facilities. In response, CIHEB-Kenya’s USAID Stawisha Pwani program team convened to explore alternative solutions. Their findings revealed a rising preference among clients to collect ART from community pharmacies - a more convenient and discreet option.

Recognizing this shift, CIHEB-Kenya’s technical teams came together to co-design a Community Pharmacy Model. In collaboration with other stakeholders including representatives from Ministry of Health sub-county teams, mapping exercises were conducted in two sub-counties, and clients were offered a choice of ART pick-up models. Those opting for pharmacy-based pick-up were further engaged to assess feasibility and readiness.

By September 2025, more than 200 clients were successfully receiving ART from local chemists, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from both clients and pharmacy technologists.

How Community Pharmacy Model Work

The success of the pilot in Mombasa is rooted in its ability to respond to real client needs. Public facilities remain stretched to capacity, and for many, the rigid clinic schedules simply don’t fit into the realities of work and family life.

To bridge the gaps, community pharmacies offer a practical alternative - providing convenience, confidentiality and a sense of quality that clients appreciate. Based on the clients’ feedback, convenience was sited as one of the major reasons why they preferred this model.

With this model, clients can now pick up their ARVs in minutes - even during evenings, weekends, and public holidays- without disrupting their daily routines. This flexibility has translated into improved retention, with more clients staying engaged in care. The ripple effect is clear: better health outcomes, enhanced viral load suppression, and higher client satisfaction.

The Community Pharmacy Model proves that when care is accessible and client-centered, everyone wins. Building on this success, CIHEB-Kenya will continue to explore and scale-up best practices across other counties, ensuring that more people living with HIV can benefit from a model that truly meets them where they are.