The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called for increased financial, regulatory and institutional support from the Federal and state governments to strengthen community pharmacies and improve access to affordable medicines across Nigeria.
The call was made at the 45th Annual National Scientific Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) in Abuja, where stakeholders said community pharmacists could play a greater role in providing accessible first-contact healthcare services.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, stated this while addressing participants at the conference.
Akume described community pharmacists as critical frontline healthcare providers who could help address challenges related to medicine affordability and access, particularly among vulnerable populations.
He highlighted the Federal Government’s decision to suspend import duties, taxes and Value Added Tax (VAT) on pharmaceutical raw materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients, medical equipment and other healthcare inputs.
According to him, the measures were designed to reduce production costs, encourage local manufacturing and make medicines more affordable for Nigerians.
The SGF, however, acknowledged that access to affordable medicines and pharmaceutical services remained a challenge, especially in rural communities.
He urged community pharmacists to support government efforts by intensifying the fight against counterfeit and substandard medicines, contributing to drug abuse prevention initiatives and participating in disease surveillance and emergency response activities.
Akume said stronger collaboration between government and pharmacists would be vital to achieving Universal Health Coverage in the country.
Representing the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, Chairman of the House Committee on Health Institutions, Amos Magaji, commended community pharmacists for promoting the safe use of medicines.
Magaji called for deeper cooperation between government and the pharmacy profession to strengthen healthcare delivery nationwide.
Also speaking, Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Murtala Muhammad Bagana, advocated stronger partnerships between state governments and community pharmacists.
He proposed integrating community pharmacies into state health insurance schemes and primary healthcare systems, noting that such a move could reduce medicine costs, improve supply chains and lower healthcare expenses for low-income households.
The ACPN expressed concern over the increasing migration of pharmacists from Nigeria, revealing that more than 9,500 pharmacists had left the country in recent years.
The association called for urgent measures to retain skilled professionals and expand the role of community pharmacists in healthcare services such as hypertension and diabetes screening, malaria management, family planning and smoking cessation programmes.
In its conference resolutions, the ACPN proposed stiffer penalties for dealers in counterfeit medicines and recommended the establishment of a National Drug Management Agency to coordinate the procurement of essential medicines.
The association also advocated the creation of a National Postgraduate College of Pharmacy to strengthen specialist training within the country.
The newly elected National Chairman of the ACPN, Pharm. Ezeh Ambrose Igwekamma, urged the Federal Government to implement the resolutions without delay.
He said effective implementation would improve medicine security, strengthen the healthcare system and expand access to quality and affordable healthcare services.
“Decisive implementation of these resolutions will strengthen medicine security, revitalise the health sector and make quality healthcare more accessible to Nigerians,” Igwekamma said.
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