Editorial: Why Nigeria federal govt should consider Community Pharmacies as Primary Health Care Centers

 

By Okechukwu Onuegbu

The National Chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh recently urged the Federal Government to designate community pharmacies across the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) as Primary Health Care (PHC) centers. Ezeh made the call on September 25, 2025 at ACPN National Secretariat, Abuja in commemoration of the 2025 World Pharmacist Day themed “Think Health, Think Pharmacist,”

Factcheck Nigeria considers this call necessary because pharmacists are trusted professionals in healthcare delivery at the hinterlands. ACPN members owing to their expertise in the field are champions in the area of public health through advocacy, offering of medical advice, assistance in disease management, among others.

Also, community pharmacies are more accessible to the populace compared to most of the existing PHCs. They are seen across the streets in the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and communities with professionals who are down-to-earth, humane and understand the language of the people.

Again, in most parts of the country, existing PHCs are understaffed and dilapidated due to poor funding, thereby forcing most of the populace to resort to self medication, patronising of quacks and unregulated patent medicine vendors. We believe that designating community pharmacies as PHC centers would instantly strengthen the national health care system without the heavy financial burden of building new structures or recruiting an entirely new cadre of workers.

Pharmacists are trained and licensed professionals with expertise in medicines, preventive care, drug safety, and chronic disease management. Also, they are often the first point of contact for Nigerians seeking health advice. Unlike many public PHCs that remain under lock and key sometimes because their staff do not like to work in rural communities, the community pharmacies are open daily, including weekends, and provide round-the-clock access to essential medicines.

With Community Pharmacists in charge, maternal and child health issues will also reduce. They will provide better immunisation services and advocacy for eradication of preventable diseases due to their expertise, versatility and proximity. Already, they have proven their capacity in screening, monitoring and patient counselling, as well as in handling the burden of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and asthma.

Therefore, we are urging the federal government of Nigeria and other federating units by extension, to adopt this initiative because it would bridge some gaps in health care systems, reduce pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals, and expand the reach of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Rather than allowing thousands of community pharmacies to operate in isolation, the federal government should recognize their potential as partners in primary health care. It would contribute effectively towards better regulation, improved service delivery, and a more efficient national health architecture. Already, countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, and South Africa, have fully integrated them into primary health care delivery, especially in handling immunizations, medication therapy management, and public health campaigns.