Nairobi, Aug. 2 -- For a long time, seeking medical care in Kenya meant travelling to a hospital or health centre and spending hours in queues before seeing a clinician.

For many people, particularly those managing common illnesses, the time and cost involved have long prevented them from accessing care.

However, this is starting to change. Across Kenya, pharmacies are expanding their services to include neighbourhood primary healthcare, offering consultations, diagnostic tests, treatment for common illnesses and referrals, all in one place through a pharmacy-clinic model.

The pharmacy-clinic model integrates primary healthcare services into retail pharmacies, allowing patients to consult a clinician, undergo basic tests, receive treat...