Urges Pharmacists to Source Drugs from Approved Premises, Calls for Periodic Regulation

By Chioma Obinna

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Lagos Chapter, has thrown its weight behind the ongoing nationwide clampdown on open drug markets by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The pharmacists also urged NAFDAC to ensure that the exercise is carried out periodically to safeguard public health and maintain the integrity of pharmacy practice.

Furthermore, they called for the immediate reconstitution of the Board of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) to enhance regulatory oversight and enforce compliance within the pharmaceutical sector.

Speaking at the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, ACPN Chairman Pharm. Tolulope Ajayi commended NAFDAC’s recent efforts, stressing that the move would significantly reduce the prevalence of counterfeit and substandard drugs in Nigeria.

“The recent revelation by the NAFDAC DG on counterfeit medicines, including the alteration of expiration dates, reinforces the need for decisive action,” Ajayi stated.

He urged the federal government to strengthen pharmaceutical regulation by equipping NAFDAC and other agencies with the necessary resources and security support to carry out their mandates effectively.

Ajayi also charged community pharmacists to uphold professionalism and called on drug manufacturers to take greater responsibility in ensuring their distribution channels remain free from unregulated drug markets.

Former ACPN Lagos Chairman Pharm. Aminu Yinka Abdulsalam expressed deep concerns over the unregulated drug distribution networks, particularly in Idumota and other open drug markets.

“Our role as pharmacists is to ensure patients receive genuine medicines that aid their recovery. Medicine has life, and improper storage can compromise its effectiveness. It is unacceptable for trained professionals to source medicines from questionable locations.”

He pointed out that Lagos State has legitimate pharmaceutical wholesalers, making it unnecessary for pharmacists to patronise unregulated drug hubs like Idumota.

Former ACPN Chairman and current Chairman of the Healthcare Providers Association of Nigeria (HCPAN), Pharm. Abiola Paul-Ozieh, described open drug markets as a national crisis requiring urgent attention.

“This is not just about the ACPN; it is about public health in Nigeria. Since 2012, a national drug distribution guideline was introduced to address the chaotic drug distribution system. Unfortunately, weak political will has stalled its implementation for years.”

Paul-Ozieh lamented that Nigeria has repeatedly failed to enforce policies designed to improve healthcare access and ensure the safety of pharmaceutical products.

She stressed that if the National Drug Policy had been fully implemented, the country would not be facing its current crisis of substandard and falsified medicines.

“Treating medicines as mere trade commodities rather than essential healthcare products exposes the nation to serious risks. Open drug markets are the primary channels through which fake and substandard medicines infiltrate our healthcare system. Dismantling them is non-negotiable.”

She further called for:

Stronger government support, including increased funding and personnel for regulatory agencies.

Pharmaceutical value chain audits to ensure ethical compliance from importers to retailers.

Enforcement of global best practices in pharmaceutical distribution and storage.

Past Lagos Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Chairman, Pharm. Anthony Bola Oyawole, criticised the lack of oversight in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry, stating that it had been reduced to a trade with little regulation.

“Drugs are not just commodities; they are living things designed to elicit specific effects in the body. Active ingredients require strict storage conditions, including room temperature, refrigeration, or deep freezing for vaccines. Poor storage can render medicines ineffective or even toxic.”

Oyawole further revealed that the last time any pharmaceutical premises were officially registered in Idumota was in the early 1980s, highlighting the long-standing regulatory failure in the market.

“Between 2005 and 2008, there were some regulatory efforts, but the political will to sustain them was lacking. Now that NAFDAC has taken action, they must sustain this momentum to ensure periodic and effective regulation.”

The highlight of the AGM was the unanimous re-election of the ACPN’s executive members, reinforcing their mandate to advocate for improved pharmaceutical regulations and public health safety in Nigeria.