Level and determinants of willingness to pay for rapid COVID-19 testing delivered through private retail pharmacies in Kenya

IntroductionTo support the government response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, accessible and sustainable testing approaches are needed. Private retail pharmacies are a key channel through which communities can access COVID-19 testing. We examined the level and determinants of the willingness to pay (WTP) for rapid COVID-19 testing delivered through private retail pharmacies in Kenya.MethodsData was collected following a cross-sectional double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation survey across 341 clients visiting five private retail pharmacies in Nairobi, Kisumu and Siaya counties.ResultsOur findings indicate mean and median WTP levels of KES 611 (US$ 5.59) and KES 506 (US$ 4.63), respectively. Estimated WTP varied across counties and increased with household income and self-reported interest in pharmacy-based COVID-19 rapid testing.ConclusionThese findings can inform price setting, price differentiation, price subsidization and other program design features geared towards enhancing affordability, equity, and uptake.Key QuestionsWhat is already known?The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic continues to cause great morbidity, mortality, social and economic burden.Pharmacies in Kenya have been involved in the delivery of several health interventions, such as malaria rapid testing, HIV self-testing, and other disease screening services.While COVID-19 testing remains an important response strategy to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is not clear how much pharmacy clients in Kenya and similar settings would be willing to pay (WTP) to obtain rapid COVID-19 testing at pharmaciesWhat are the new findings?The mean and median willingness to pay (WTP) for a rapid test delivered at a private retail pharmacy was KES 611 (US$ 5.59) and KES 506 (US$ 4.63), respectively.WTP varied by county, hence, the need for county-specific price-setting for pharmacy-based COVID-19 testing.WTP increased with household income and interest in getting the COVID-19 test at a private retail pharmacy.What do the new findings imply?A better understanding of the user’s willingness to pay price that can guide price setting, price differentiation, price subsidization and other program design features geared towards enhancing affordability, equity, and uptake.