The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria has raised concerns over the growing brain drain of pharmacists, attributing the departure of more than 9,500 professionals in two years to poor remuneration and a hostile working environment.
The association disclosed this in the communique issued at the end of its 45th Annual International Scientific Conference held in Abuja, where it called for urgent government action to reverse the trend and strengthen the country’s pharmaceutical workforce, reports Daily Independent.
The communique signed by its National Chairman, Ambrose Ezeh, and National Secretary, Mrs Obiageri Ikwu, attributed the mass migration of pharmacists to what it described as a “wretched reward system” in both the public and private sectors, poor service and practice environments, unwieldy drug distribution channels and a declining academic workforce capable of sustaining the future of pharmacy practice.
It also called on the government to integrate community pharmacies into primary healthcare delivery as part of efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), noting that pharmacies were strategically positioned to provide accessible and affordable first-contact care.
According to the association, community pharmacies are “everywhere and open when patients need care”, making them a trusted and low-cost access point for healthcare, particularly at the grassroots.
It urged the federal government to support policy and regulatory reforms that would enable community pharmacies to provide primary healthcare services, including access to essential medicines and management of uncomplicated diseases, thereby reducing pressure on secondary and tertiary health facilities.
The pharmacists also called for sustainable financing of community pharmacy services and encouraged practitioners to provide basic free screening for conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, alongside medication counselling.
The conference further advocated the establishment of pharmacy-based clinics to provide counselling and advocacy on malaria, antenatal care, family planning, smoking cessation and the appropriate use of nutraceuticals.
It directed community pharmacies to improve documentation and data generation to support evidence-based advocacy and called on the ACPN to dedicate funds towards documentation and other logistics required to strengthen data collection across pharmacies.
The association also identified weak political leadership, inadequate evidence generation and digital transformation, quality improvement deficits and poor collaboration as critical gaps undermining patient-centred care.
To address these challenges, it proposed a five-pillar transformation agenda centred on one vision, quality that inspires trust, digital-first and data-driven practice, stronger partnership with primary healthcare and collaboration with health insurers.
The pharmacists also urged their members to become more actively involved in politics and policy development, stressing that their proximity to communities placed them in a strong position to influence healthcare policies affecting Nigerians.
On drug abuse, the ACPN called on government to intensify the prosecution of peddlers and unlicensed dispensers of controlled drugs.
It urged the government and relevant agencies, including the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the police, to ensure effective enforcement of their statutory responsibilities.
It also called for the rehabilitation and maintenance of existing drug treatment centres and the construction of additional centres across the six geopolitical zones to address what it described as a growing national emergency of drug abuse, particularly among youths and women.
The conference urged the National Assembly to complete legislative action on pending bills aimed at strengthening the pharmaceutical sector, including the amendment of the Fake Drug Act to address drug distribution.
It further proposed the creation of a Federal Drug Management Agency to coordinate drug procurement through a central pool and support the procurement of essential medicines under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
The association also called for the establishment of a National Postgraduate College of Pharmacists, describing it as essential to producing the pharmaceutical specialists needed to strengthen pharmacy education and practice in Nigeria.
The ACPN cautioned the National Assembly against proceeding with what it described as “suppressive and oppressive” health bills, including proposed amendments affecting 14 professional councils and NAFDAC, arguing that the bills lacked fundamental justification for advancing public health.
It commended the Senate Committee on Health for its handling of the public hearing on the National Health Facility Regulatory Agency (NHFRA) Bill, which it said was rejected by a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
The conference also resolved to strengthen collaboration with PCN, NAFDAC and NDLEA and called for wider regulatory oversight of the pharmaceutical sector, particularly private hospital pharmacies which it accused of stocking and dispensing categories of medicines in violation of relevant laws.
The communique also reads, “The conference listed the various factors fueling drug abuse in the country and strongly urged the government to punish peddlers and unlicensed dispensers of controlled drugs.
“Conference further posited that government and its agencies, including PCN, NAFDAC, NDLEA and the Police, are adequately funded to carry out statutory responsibilities.
“Conference advised government to equip and maintain existing rehabilitation centres, while also building more along the premises of the six existing geo-political zones to further checkmate the national emergency drug abuse is gradually degenerating into, particularly spates of addictive propensities from youths and even women.
“Conference strongly urged the National Assembly to halt further legislative action on some suppressive and oppressive health bills which are pending in the hallowed chambers of law-making.
“Conference congratulated the Senate Committee on Health for the expeditious handling of the Public Hearing on the NHFRA bill, which was overwhelmingly rejected by a wide spectrum range of stakeholders including the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Justice, PSN and JOHESU.
“Conference advised the National Assembly to stop further listing of amendment health bills in respect of 14 professional councils and NAFDAC, as the proposed amendments serve no fundamental justifications that will advance public interest and health.
“Conference approved constitutional amendments of the ACPN constitution to accommodate bye-laws for state branches. A harmonised state bye-law and eligibility criteria for elections at the state level were proposed.
“Conference concluded that the harmonised bye-law was adopted and becomes binding on all state branches.
“Conference strongly affirmed the 2025 AGM resolution that recognised the incumbent Chairman and the Executive Committee of the branch.
“Conference committed the ACPN to better collaboration with the PCN, NAFDAC and NDLEA.
“Conference called for broad-spectrum regulatory activities to cover the pharmaceutical space, including private hospital pharmacies which gained a notoriety for dispensing and stocking all categories of drugs in gross violation of the PCN, NAFDAC and NDLEA Acts,” the communique added.
The conference, held from July 27 to August 1, 2026, at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, was attended by senior government officials, regulators, pharmacy leaders and other stakeholders.
