ACPN urges FG to adopt Pharmacy First initiative for healthcare transformation
By Chioma Obinna
The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Federal Government to approve and invest in the Pharmacy First Initiative (PFI), describing it as a strategic pathway to expanding Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and transforming Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system.
The association said the initiative would position community pharmacies as accessible primary healthcare points, particularly for the management of uncomplicated diseases, basic screening and health counselling, while reducing pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals.
In a position statement signed by its National Chairman, Pharm. Ezeh Ambrose, and National Secretary, Pharm. Omokhafe Ashore, the ACPN said Nigeria must leverage the proximity of community pharmacists to patients to strengthen primary healthcare.
It said: “We find it necessary to sensitise and mobilise the Federal Government to approve specific investment plans to leverage the Pharmacy First Initiative, one of the best mechanisms to catalyse Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.”
According to the association, UHC remains an appropriate mechanism for delivering quality, equitable and people-centred healthcare to Nigerians, stressing that community pharmacies should be structured to provide defined primary healthcare services.
The ACPN said: “At the centre of strategising for UHC, governments at all levels must structure community pharmacies to provide Primary Health Care services through better access to essential drugs and management of uncomplicated diseases, which ultimately reduces the burden of services on secondary and tertiary health facilities.”
The pharmacists urged their members to expand their services beyond dispensing medicines by providing free basic screening for uncomplicated non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
They also called for pharmacy-based clinics offering counselling and advocacy on malaria, antenatal care, family planning, smoking cessation and wellness, among other areas within pharmacists’ professional competence.
The association stressed the importance of proper documentation and data generation from such services, saying evidence-based data would strengthen advocacy and improve pharmacy practice.
It said: “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 ACPN identified four critical gaps hindering patient-centred care in the country: policy and political leadership, evidence and digital transformation, quality and improvement, and collaboration.
It said Nigeria’s healthcare transformation should be built around five major pillars: “One pillar, one vision; quality that inspires trust; digital first, data-driven; primary care partners; and working with health insurers.”
The association also urged community pharmacists to embrace investment opportunities, scale up their practices and adopt modern business and professional models capable of delivering Good Pharmacy Practice in the interest of patients.
Drawing lessons from the United Kingdom, the ACPN said the country’s experience during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the capacity of community pharmacies to keep healthcare services accessible when conventional medical services were disrupted.
“At the height of the COVID19 season the UK relied extensively on community pharmacies with the support of £300 million for community pharmacies to potentiate their service,” it said.
According to the association, British pharmacists sustained healthcare services while many general practice surgeries were closed, prompting government recognition of their contribution.
The ACPN contrasted the experience with Nigeria, saying community pharmacies continued providing accessible and affordable services during the pandemic despite assuming significant risks, but received neither comparable financial support nor formal acknowledgement.
It further cited recent developments in England, where the NHS has expanded walk-in pharmacy treatment under a £340 million investment deal announced in May 2026.
The association said the development “builds directly upon the Pharmacy First Initiative,” which has expanded the role of community pharmacies in providing primary clinical care and reducing pressure on general practice surgeries.
The ACPN therefore called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to establish a Presidential Committee on the pharmaceutical sector to examine the Pharmacy First model and other reforms capable of strengthening the country’s health system.
“Finally, we draw the attention of the Federal Government and the respective State Governments to mind-blowing reforms around the world which are impacting and producing fruitful results,” the association said.
It maintained that Nigeria could adapt successful international models to strengthen primary healthcare, improve access to essential medicines and bring quality healthcare closer to communities.