PHARMACISTS CALL FOR URGENT INTEGRATION INTO PRIMARY HEALTHCARE TO CURB MEDICINE MISUSE

Pharmacists in Nigeria have urged the Federal and state governments to urgently integrate licensed pharmacists into Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) nationwide, citing growing concerns over medicine misuse, poor patient counselling, and weak drug management at the grassroots level.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) highlighted that the absence of pharmacists in many facilities, especially in rural and underserved communities, continues to undermine safe medication use and the delivery of effective healthcare.
According to the association, deploying pharmacists to PHCs would enhance patient care, improve medication safety, and bolster disease prevention efforts.
Speaking exclusively to newsmen, PSN President, Pharm. Aliyu Tanko, noted that while PHCs serve as the first point of contact for millions of Nigerians, licensed pharmacists are absent from many of these facilities.
He emphasized that pharmacists’ roles should not be confined to secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities. Instead, they must be recognized as critical members of the primary healthcare workforce.
“Full integration of pharmacists into national health programs, particularly at the primary healthcare and public health levels, is among PSN’s key expectations from the government in 2026,” Tanko said.
He further observed that pharmacists’ expertise remains underutilized at the PHC level and called for government support for digital health transformation, including harmonizing licensing, inspections, continuing professional development, and service delivery systems across the sector.
Tanko also raised concerns about medicine access and affordability, which were major issues in 2025 due to import dependence, foreign exchange volatility, and persistent supply chain pressures affecting pharmaceutical products nationwide.
To strengthen local drug manufacturing and reduce import reliance in 2026, he recommended pharmacy-informed industrial and health policies, including:
Clear regulatory frameworks and enforcement to ensure competent oversight of medicine production, distribution, and dispensing.
Local content procurement policies prioritizing quality-assured, locally manufactured medicines in public health programs.
Development of pharmaceutical industrial clusters supported by stable infrastructure, including power, water, logistics, and regulatory backing.
Optimization of human capital by leveraging consultant pharmacists, industrial pharmacists, and academic experts in manufacturing innovation and quality systems.
Tanko urged policy alignment across the health, trade, and finance ministries, recognizing pharmaceuticals as a national security and public health priority. “Local manufacturing cannot thrive without professional integrity, regulatory certainty, and deliberate government commitment. PSN seeks a functional partnership with the government to build a resilient, people-centred, and professionally governed health system,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the federal government to officially designate community pharmacies across the country as PHCs. The association emphasized that pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare professionals and play a pivotal role in national health delivery.
ACPN National Chairman Ambrose Ezeh stressed that pharmacists are often the first point of contact for patients, providing immediate, professional, and reliable interventions. “This accessibility enables pharmacists to offer free consultations, counsel patients on medication safety, monitor drug interactions, and ensure treatment adherence,” Ezeh said.
“Pharmacists stand at the intersection of medical expertise, public health, and patient-centred care. Across Nigeria, people walk into community pharmacies without appointments and leave with health education, reassurance, and proper guidance. This is why community pharmacies deserve official recognition as Primary Healthcare Centres,” he added in a statement marking the 2025 World Pharmacist Day.