The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has pledged to strengthen collaboration with Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturers to drive increased access to essential medicines and enhance the economic viability of the nation’s healthcare industry.
This commitment was made by the National Chairman of the ACPN, Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh, MAW, DCPharm, and the National Secretary, Omokhafe Ashore, FPSN, during a pre-conference media engagement ahead of the association’s 44th Annual National Conference scheduled to hold in Awka, Anambra State, from July 22 to 27.
Highlighting ongoing investments in local pharmaceutical manufacturing, Ezeh commended the strides made by indigenous companies such as Fidson Healthcare, Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Jawa Pharm, and Codix Healthcare in drug production, particularly in anti-retrovirals, cephalosporins, beta-lactams, and diagnostic kits.
“The pharmaceutical industry, despite immense challenges, is on track to become a $10 billion sector in the next five years. This is driven by landmark investments, including the establishment of API plants and expansion into high-value product categories. We will continue to partner with local manufacturers to ensure increased access to affordable and quality medicines,” Ezeh said.
He emphasised the need for government support in the form of incentives, streamlined access to essential raw materials, and implementation of existing national drug policies. “This is crucial not just for public health but for economic growth, job creation, and Nigeria’s strategic position in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” he noted.
The ACPN leadership expressed concern over the high incidence of drug faking in Nigeria and called for a comprehensive overhaul of the Fake Drug Act, alongside the full implementation of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG) of 2015.
The association also criticised the Federal Ministry of Health’s (FMoH) approach to healthcare policy-making, citing insufficient engagement with pharmacy stakeholders on initiatives such as MEDIPOOL. “Good policies must be matched with fair implementation frameworks,” Ashore noted.
On the ongoing professional tensions in the Nigerian health sector, the ACPN leadership voiced strong disapproval of what it described as the continued subjugation of non-physician health professionals by medical interest groups.
According to Ezeh, medical associations have consistently attempted to undermine the recognition of certified skills such as PharmD and the Consultant Cadre in pharmacy. “Their objections are rooted in self-preservation and not public interest,” he said.
He criticised the government’s alleged complicity in allowing physicians to dominate leadership positions in Federal Health Institutions (FHIs) and ministries, describing the system as an apartheid structure that marginalises other health professionals.
“It is ironic that pharmacists who self-finance their training for consultancy status are frustrated by institutions that freely train doctors who often exit the country immediately after,” he said.
The ACPN called on the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and other allied associations to prepare for what it termed legitimate resistance to restore fairness and professional equity in the healthcare system.
On the proposed National Health Facility Regulatory Authority (NHFRA) Bill currently before the National Assembly, the ACPN categorically rejected any attempt to subsume the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) into a single regulatory body.
The association provided a historical and operational defence of the PCN, citing its international recognition alongside NAFDAC for reaching Maturity Level 3 in regulatory capacity by the World Health Organisation (WHO). They argued that merging the PCN with other health regulators would lower standards, create bureaucratic inefficiencies, and reverse hard-won global recognition.
“Countries like the UK, USA, South Africa, and Ghana all maintain distinct pharmacy regulatory bodies. We must align with international best practices, not regress from them,” Ashore said.
In a final call, the ACPN urged President Bola Tinubu to personally initiate a dialogue with all health professionals outside the current leadership of the FMoH to address the festering crisis in the sector.
“The FMoH must stop sidelining pharmacy professionals in critical decisions. A multidisciplinary healthcare system cannot be run with monolithic leadership,” Ezeh said.
