By: Dhita Karuniawati )*
Equal distribution of health services is one of the main pillars in national development, especially in ensuring the basic rights of the community to access decent medical services. One important aspect of health services is the availability and distribution of medicines evenly to the remote areas of the country. In this context, the existence of Village Pharmacies is very vital. The Indonesian government through various strategic programs and policies has made Village Pharmacies the spearhead in increasing accessibility of medicines in rural areas.
Most of Indonesia’s population lives in rural areas, but until now, access to health facilities and medicines is still very limited in many villages. The long distance from the city center, limited transportation, and the lack of health workers are the main obstacles. This condition causes many rural communities to not get timely and quality treatment, especially during emergencies or infectious diseases.
Village Pharmacy is here as an answer to the needs of village communities for guaranteed, affordable, and safe access to medicine. The presence of village pharmacies is not only as a place to sell medicine, but also as a center for health education, promotion of rational drug use, and professional pharmaceutical services.
In order to improve health services to remote areas of Indonesia, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, initiated a program called Village Pharmacy through Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 9 of 2025 which was signed on March 27, 2025.
In order to support the Presidential Instruction, the Ministry of Health coordinates and collaborates with related ministries/institutions in providing guidance, assistance, and facilitation, including determining policies for organizing red and white village/sub-district cooperatives in the establishment of village/sub-district clinics and pharmacies.
The Village Pharmacy will carry out standard services including management and clinical services, by providing consultations or administering drugs related to program drugs such as HIV, TB, Malaria and other programs.
In addition, Village Pharmacies can develop services by providing commercial drug and medical device services, such as providing prescription drugs, over-the-counter and limited over-the-counter drugs, herbal medicines, vitamins and health supplements, as well as simple medical devices (thermometers, gauze, plasters, etc.).
The Village Pharmacy Program was welcomed positively by health workers. One of them was the General Chairperson of the Central Board of the Indonesian Pharmacists Association (IAI), Noffendri Roestam, who welcomed the idea with open arms. According to him, this program could be an important breakthrough in providing equal access to medicine and health education to 80,000 villages and sub-districts throughout Indonesia.
Village Pharmacy does not only sell generic drugs like in stalls. The concept is much more complex, Village Pharmacy will later become part of the village/sub-district cooperative, and play an important role in the primary health care system of the community.
Responding to this idea, IAI immediately moved quickly by holding discussions, collecting input, and thinking about strategies so that this program would not only be beautiful on paper.
Head of Hisfarkesmas PP IAI, apt. Maria Ulfah, said that only about 68 percent of Community Health Centers in Indonesia have pharmacists. The rest are still handled by vocational pharmacy personnel (TVF) or other health workers. In fact, managing a pharmacy is not an easy matter. It requires technical skills, understanding of regulations, and the ability to manage complex drug e-catalogs. Therefore, Village Pharmacies must be led by pharmacists, not other personnel. TVF can be a supporter, but not the person in charge. Out of 80,000 villages, not all of them may be ready to have a Village Pharmacy.
To fill the vacancy of pharmacists in the village, IAI proposed several strategies, starting from the Special Task Pharmacist program for fresh graduates to the CPNS/PPPK recruitment system based on villages, not sub-districts. The hope is that prospective pharmacists can know in advance the conditions of the target village before registering.
IAI also encourages collaboration between Village Pharmacies and Assistant Health Centers (Pustu), including opening up opportunities for collaboration with BPJS and encouraging the Serbu Drug Program (Serba Seribu) to procure high-quality, low-cost drugs. The synergy of all stakeholders including BPOM and BUMN such as Indofarma, can make Village Pharmacies a real solution for the health of rural communities.
The idea of Village Pharmacy is not just a discourse. If it is really implemented carefully, it could be a game changer in health services in Indonesia. The most important thing is that pharmacists are ready to go down to the village, in addition to the government paying attention to their welfare and safety.
Village Pharmacy is one of the important innovations in the national health service system that aims to ensure equitable, safe, and quality access to medicines for all levels of society, especially in rural areas. The existence of Village Pharmacy is a real symbol of the government’s commitment to guaranteeing health rights for all citizens.
This Village Pharmacy is expected to improve public access to health services, including medicines, health consultations, and health education, especially in hard-to-reach areas. So that it can improve the quality of life, reduce the burden of health costs, and boost the local economy by opening up jobs and improving community welfare.
In the future, strengthening infrastructure, human resources, and appropriate regulatory support will be the key to success in realizing an independent, professional, and competitive Village Pharmacy. Thus, we can hope that every villager, without exception, can enjoy decent health services, including the availability of medicines, as part of efforts to build a healthier and more prosperous Indonesia.
)* Contributor to the Indonesian Strategic Information Study Institute