The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Federal Government to immediately integrate registered community pharmacists into the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) scheme, describing the move as a major step towards expanding access to affordable healthcare and achieving Universal Health Coverage.
According to a report by The Guardian, the association made the call during a press briefing ahead of its 45th Annual International Scientific Conference, scheduled to hold in Abuja from July 27 to August 1, 2026.
The conference, themed “Unity 2026: From Local Pharmacy Practice to Global Impact, Managing Complex Political Systems,” will bring together policymakers, healthcare administrators, legislators, regulators, pharmaceutical industry leaders and international experts to discuss reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The ACPN argued that the continued exclusion of community pharmacies from the NHIA framework weakens the effectiveness of the national health insurance programme, despite community pharmacists serving as the first point of healthcare for most Nigerians.
Addressing journalists, the National Chairman of ACPN, Pharm. Ambrose Igwekamma Ezeh, described community pharmacies as the backbone of primary healthcare delivery, revealing that nearly 80 per cent of Nigerians first seek healthcare services from neighbourhood pharmacies before visiting hospitals.
He said integrating community pharmacists into the NHIA would significantly expand access to healthcare by leveraging the extensive network of licensed pharmacies across the country.
According to Ezeh, the reform would reduce patients’ travel time and out of pocket healthcare expenses, improve access to quality medicines and strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.
“Most Nigerians live closer to a community pharmacy than to a major hospital. Integrating community pharmacists into the NHIA means healthcare becomes available right where people live, reducing travel time, lowering healthcare costs and improving timely access to quality medicines,” he said.
He stressed that while the association fully supports collaboration with the NHIA, implementation must be based on a transparent and equitable reimbursement framework that complies with the provisions of the NHIA Act.
According to him, such a framework would ensure fairness among healthcare providers, protect private sector investments, improve service delivery and guarantee the long term sustainability of the health insurance programme.
Ezeh also called for policy reforms that would encourage innovation, strengthen public private partnerships and create a more enabling environment for community pharmacy practice.
He noted that pharmacy practice has evolved beyond dispensing medicines to include medication therapy management, disease prevention, pharmaceutical care and broader public health interventions.
The ACPN chairman added that the association remains committed to improving professional standards through Mandatory Continuing Professional Development, research, innovation and capacity building.
He also warned Nigerians against patronising unlicensed medicine vendors, describing them as major contributors to the circulation of counterfeit, substandard and falsified medicines.
Ezeh urged the public to obtain medicines only from registered pharmacies supervised by licensed pharmacists, noting that integrating community pharmacies into the NHIA would strengthen medicine quality assurance by directing healthcare financing through regulated pharmaceutical outlets.
He maintained that the proposed reform comes at a critical time when Nigeria’s health sector is facing the migration of healthcare professionals, shortages of skilled manpower and fragile medicine supply chains.
Rather than investing huge resources in constructing new health facilities, he said the government could rapidly expand quality primary healthcare by fully utilising the existing network of licensed community pharmacies nationwide.
Describing community pharmacists as an underutilised national healthcare asset, Ezeh said their inclusion in the NHIA would immediately improve healthcare access without requiring massive capital investment in new infrastructure.
The association said the forthcoming international conference would also provide a platform for discussions on healthcare governance, medicine security, digital transformation, pharmaceutical innovation, leadership development and strategies for positioning Nigerian pharmacy practice among the world’s leading healthcare systems.
Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, Pharm. Chidi Dozie, said comprehensive arrangements had been concluded to ensure a successful conference, with committees overseeing logistics, security, protocol, hospitality, exhibitions and scientific sessions.
He added that participants would benefit from internationally benchmarked exhibitions, robust scientific sessions and networking opportunities designed to strengthen collaboration among local and international healthcare stakeholders.
The conference is expected to attract several top government officials, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, Minister of State for Health Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako and Minister of State for the FCT Dr. Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure.
The keynote address will be delivered by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Evans Therapeutics Ltd., Pharm. Adewale Oyenuga, while the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Pharm. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, will serve as Chief Host.
As part of its commitment to preventive healthcare, ACPN also announced plans to conduct free medical screenings, hepatitis awareness campaigns, vaccination exercises and other community health outreach programmes across the Federal Capital Territory during the conference.
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