It appears that everywhere you walk in Nairobi, you won’t go far before spotting a pharmacy.
Which begs the question: why is everyone opening a pharmacy?
Don’t we have any other businesses people can do?
The other day, I saw someone raise this issue on X, and I was surprised by how many people seemed unhappy about the idea of having pharmacies everywhere. To some, it makes it look like people are becoming sicker by the day.
And when you think about it, the concern seems reasonable. No matter how many pharmacies we see, most appear to be operating profitably, and very few close down.
But have you ever tried to fill a prescription only to discover that finding a reliable pharmacy is harder than it looks?
You visit one pharmacy and they only have two of the four medicines prescribed. The next one has another item, but not the rest. Before long, you’ve visited three or four pharmacies just to complete one prescription.
Suddenly, it doesn’t feel like there are too many pharmacies after all.
So why does Nairobi feel oversupplied with pharmacies?
Part of the answer is visibility.
Large chain pharmacies have expanded aggressively over the last few years. They prefer high-traffic locations such as shopping malls, petrol stations, and busy commercial centres. They also invest heavily in branding and advertising, making them far more noticeable than the average neighbourhood pharmacy.
Another factor is infrastructure growth. Every year, new malls, apartment complexes, and commercial centres emerge across Nairobi and its outskirts. When developers design these spaces, a pharmacy is often considered an essential tenant alongside supermarkets, restaurants, and banks.
As the city expands, pharmacies naturally expand with it.
There is also growing investor interest in healthcare. Today, it is common to find business people partnering with pharmaceutical professionals to establish pharmacies. Healthcare remains one of the few sectors where demand is relatively stable regardless of economic conditions, making it attractive to investors.
What many people also overlook is that modern pharmacies are no longer just pharmacies.
Walk into most pharmacies today and you will find beauty products, baby care items, supplements, personal care products, medical devices, and wellness products. In many ways, the modern pharmacy has evolved into a hybrid healthcare and retail store.
The bigger question is whether online pharmacies will eventually take over.
Technology is certainly changing consumer behaviour. Medicine delivery services, online consultations, and e-commerce platforms are making healthcare products more accessible than ever before.
However, pharmacy is different from many other retail businesses. Patients often need advice, reassurance, urgent access to treatment, or help understanding their medicines. That human interaction remains difficult to replace completely.
What is more likely is that technology will reshape pharmacies rather than eliminate them. Some stores may become larger and more efficient, while others may specialize in specific services. The pharmacies that adapt will survive; those that don’t may struggle.
For now, the reason pharmacies seem to be everywhere is not necessarily because there are too many of them. It is because Nairobi itself is growing rapidly, healthcare demand continues to rise, and pharmacies have become one of the businesses that naturally follows people wherever they go.
The next time you notice a pharmacy on every corner, it may not be a sign that there are too many pharmacies. It may simply be a sign of a city that is still growing.
