By Folasade Akpan

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) says it is time for the traditional roles of community pharmacists to expand to meet the rising demands of a tech-driven, wellness-conscious population.

The National Chairman of ACPN, Mr Ezeh Igwekamma, made the call in Abuja to announce the association’s 44th Annual International Conference.

The conference is scheduled to take place in July in Awka, Anambra, with the theme: “Technology Integration, Personalised Care: The Future of Community Pharmacy Practice.”

Igwekamma said that the theme reflects the association’s resolve to transform community pharmacy practice into a central pillar of Nigeria’s evolving healthcare delivery system.

According to him, the future of pharmacy lies in embracing digital innovations such as artificial intelligence, telepharmacy, electronic health records and point-of-care testing to deliver data-driven, patient-centred services.

“Personalised pharmaceutical care must take centre stage, ensuring that every Nigerian gets tailored, efficient healthcare support from the pharmacy closest to them,” he said.

He described the surge in fake, substandard, and unwholesome drugs and drinks as a critical public health emergency, requiring stronger regulation and collaboration among stakeholders.

Citing studies dating back to 1988 by the Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation, he noted that up to 33 per cent of drugs in circulation were once found to be fake, with seven per cent resulting in fatalities.

He referred to a 1998 review by the University of Lagos which revealed that 49.6 per cent of fake drugs came from Open Drug Markets (ODM), while 32.8 per cent were linked to patent medicine vendors.

Igwekamma said that the late Prof. Dora Akunyili’s tenure at the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) offered hope through a significant drop in fake drugs incidence between 2001 and 2009.

“Unfortunately, we are gradually slipping back to the era when more than 50 per cent of medicines in circulation are fake or substandard, contrary to official estimates of 13 to 15 per cent,” he said.

Igwekamma blamed the situation on the decline of regulatory enforcement by the Federal and State Task Forces, which he described as largely inactive in recent years.

He highlighted a major breakthrough in January 2024, when NAFDAC and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) shutdown the Sabon-Geri drug market following the launch of Nigeria’s first Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) in Kano.

“The CWCs, provided for in the 2015 National Drug Distribution Guidelines, are meant to replace the unregulated open drug markets and sanitise the supply chain,” he said.

He urged the National Assembly to urgently amend the existing Fake Drug and Unwholesome Processed Food Act to make it more effective in tackling the escalating threat.

Igwekamma also expressed concerns about the growing market for fake alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, which he said had become a multi-billion-naira criminal enterprise.

He, however, said that the conference is expected to bring together more than 3,000 local and international delegates, including pharmacists, policymakers, researchers, technologists and health entrepreneurs.

He said that highlights of the event would include a walk against fake and counterfeit medicines, keynote addresses and technical sessions led by global experts in pharmacy and health technology.

It would also feature workshop and panel discussions on innovations, regulatory frameworks and pharmaceutical entrepreneurship.

The chairman called on all community pharmacists, healthcare professionals, industry leaders and development partners to join the conference in order to build a pharmacy model rooted in innovation, compassion, and impact. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Francis Onyeukwu