The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has urged the Federal Government to deploy community pharmacies as strategic frontline healthcare providers to improve access to care and help decongest secondary and tertiary hospitals.
The association also called for government investment in the Pharmacy First Initiative (PFI), saying the model could accelerate Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by bringing essential healthcare services closer to Nigerians.
National chairman of the ACPN, Pharm. Ezeh Ambrose, made the call in a statement signed by him and the association’s National Secretary, Pharm. [Mrs] Omokhafe Ashore.
The pharmacists said community pharmacies, because of their proximity to patients, could provide Primary Health Care services and manage uncomplicated diseases, thereby reducing the burden on hospitals.
The ACPN urged the Federal Government and state governments to create an enabling policy environment for community pharmacies to expand their role beyond dispensing medicines.
It called on pharmacists to provide basic screening services, including blood pressure and blood sugar checks for uncomplicated cases of hypertension and diabetes.
The association also advocated pharmacy-based clinics offering counselling and advocacy on malaria, antenatal care, family planning, smoking cessation, and wellness within the scope of professional competence.
It said proper documentation of these services and systematic data collection were essential to generate evidence for policymaking and strengthen advocacy for pharmacy practice.
According to the ACPN, Nigeria’s health sector must confront critical gaps in policy and political leadership, evidence and digital transformation, quality improvement, and collaboration.
The association said the future of pharmacy practice should be built around a common vision, quality that inspires trust, digital and data-driven systems, stronger primary-care partnerships, and collaboration with health insurers.
The association cited the United Kingdom’s experience with community pharmacy as evidence of the potential of the Pharmacy First model.
It said UK community pharmacies played a significant role in maintaining access to healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic when general practice services were disrupted.
The ACPN further cited a £340 million investment deal announced in May 2026 to expand NHS walk-in pharmacy treatments in England, saying the investment builds on the Pharmacy First Initiative and is intended to strengthen the role of community pharmacies as primary clinical care hubs.
The association contrasted this with Nigeria’s COVID-19 experience, claiming that community pharmacies continued providing accessible and affordable services despite the risks but received neither financial support nor formal acknowledgement for their contribution.
The ACPN called on the Federal Government to establish a Presidential Committee on the Pharmaceutical Sector to examine the Pharmacy First model and other reforms needed to strengthen the pharmaceutical industry.
It said the committee should explore investment opportunities, appropriate regulatory frameworks, and stronger public-private partnerships that would allow community pharmacies to expand quality healthcare services.
The association also urged pharmacists to embrace modern practice models and invest in services that advance Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) and patient-centred care.
It maintained that stronger governance, resilient drug supply chains, digital technology, sustainable financing, and effective public-private collaboration were essential to transforming Nigeria’s health system.
‘Community pharmacists must continue to be a trusted and low-cost first-contact workforce in the quest for the true growth and development of the health sector in Nigeria,’ the association said.
The ACPN said strengthening community pharmacy practice would improve access to healthcare while contributing to Nigeria’s pursuit of universal health coverage.