Abstract

Access to essential medicines remains a persistent challenge in low-income settings, where systemic barriers often undermine medication uptake and long-term adherence. Patient-centered approaches have gained momentum as effective strategies to address access inequities by integrating socio-cultural, economic, and behavioral dimensions into pharmaceutical service design. This literature-based paper proposes a Patient-Centered Pharmaceutical Access Model (PC-PAM) that emphasizes affordability, availability, accessibility, acceptability, and adherence support within healthcare delivery systems. Drawing on over 100 scholarly and policy sources, the model is framed within the WHO access framework, health behavior theories, and health system strengthening strategies. The paper is structured into an extensive introduction and literature review, followed by model development, discussion, and recommendations for implementation across resource-constrained environments. The proposed model provides actionable insights for healthcare planners, policymakers, and supply chain actors aiming to improve medication access and patient outcomes in low-income regions.