The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Nigeria government to urgently adopt a nationwide ‘Pharmacy First’ protocol to strengthen early detection of suspected Ebola cases and other infectious disease outbreaks, using community pharmacies as frontline points for surveillance, health education and referral.
The association said integrating community pharmacists into the national disease surveillance system would bring early identification of suspected infections closer to the people, particularly in communities where access to conventional healthcare facilities is limited.
“The initiative could improve epidemic preparedness, facilitate timely referrals and reduce pressure on secondary and tertiary health facilities.”
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In a statement issued after a press conference and signed by its National Chairman, Pharm. Ezeh Ambrose, the ACPN urged President Bola Tinubu to issue an executive directive for the immediate implementation of the protocol across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
The association explained that the proposed initiative would expand community pharmacy services beyond dispensing medicines to include early symptom recognition, health education, basic screening and prompt referral of individuals presenting symptoms suggestive of Ebola or other infectious diseases.
It stressed, however, that suspected cases must be referred to designated health facilities for appropriate medical assessment and testing.
“Properly structured community pharmacies could strengthen referral pathways, support contact-tracing efforts and provide timely guidance to suspected cases on isolation and further medical evaluation, thereby reducing unnecessary exposure in crowded hospital settings.”
The association said governments at all levels should position community pharmacies to provide first-line screening and primary healthcare services, alongside improved access to essential medicines and the management of uncomplicated illnesses.
It maintained that the approach could contribute to Universal Health Coverage by bringing essential healthcare services closer to communities while ensuring that hospitals concentrate on cases requiring specialised attention.
The ACPN also called on community pharmacists nationwide to improve operational standards, embrace modern practice models and invest in facility upgrades to meet the growing demands of public health emergencies.
It identified gaps in policy leadership, digital integration, evidence generation, quality improvement and collaboration among healthcare professionals as major challenges to effective epidemic preparedness and response.
To address these concerns, the association proposed a reform framework focused on establishing a unified vision for epidemic preparedness, improving clinical quality and public trust, integrating digital technology into routine pharmacy practice, strengthening collaboration with primary healthcare centres and building partnerships with health insurance providers.
The association further advocated standardised reporting systems that would enable community pharmacies transmit relevant surveillance information to national health databases, allowing public health authorities to monitor disease patterns and identify potential outbreaks more promptly.
Citing international experience, the ACPN noted that community pharmacy networks had helped sustain access to essential healthcare services during public health emergencies.
“The United Kingdom is an example of a country where community pharmacies have supported access to care during disruptions to conventional medical services.”
Pharm. Ezeh warned that delays in establishing effective grassroots surveillance mechanisms could undermine outbreak response efforts and expose healthcare workers, patients and the wider population to avoidable risks.
He said community pharmacies should be recognised as an essential part of the country’s first line of defence against infectious disease outbreaks, rather than leaving surveillance and early detection largely to hospitals.
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