Strengthening the role of patent and proprietary medicine vendors in the provision of injectable contraception in Nigeria

In Nigeria, overall modern contraceptive use is very low, however 60 percent of modern contraceptive services are obtained from private providers, including Patent and Proprietary Medicine (PPM) shops, which provide more than half of these private-sector services. PPM shops are owned by Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) licensed to sell patent or proprietary drugs. Current regulations do not permit PPMVs to sell or administer injectable contraceptives, though, because they are not regarded as sufficiently trained. Given this, it is an opportune time to generate evidence that can drive policy action to formally engage and train PPMVs in the provision of high-quality progestin-only injectable contraceptive services as a key strategy to increase women’s access to contraception. The Evidence Project, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, is conducting implementation research to: 1) demonstrate the feasibility of PPMVs administering all forms of progestin-only injectable contraceptives, such as Depo Provera and Sayana® Press; and 2) understand women’s experiences using progestin-only injectable contraceptives, including the quality of care they receive when accessing services from PPMVs