By Esther Onyegbula

The Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for pharmaceutical industries in the state.

Governor Soludo made this known while addressing delegates at the 44th Annual National Scientific Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), held in Awka, Anambra State.

According to him, “Pharmacists are the heart of our healthcare delivery system. You keep us safe, healthy, and help us live longer. The role that pharmacists play in keeping us healthy will always be appreciated.”

Soludo noted the transformative potential of technology in the healthcare sector, stating, “Technology is everything,” and acknowledged the role of pharmacists as frontline healthcare providers equipped to leverage advancements in AI and other innovations.

“Our main vision is to make Anambra a preferred place to ‘live, learn, invest, work, relax, and enjoy.’ Let us work together to improve the lives of the people and give them a sound, solid, reliable, and dependable healthcare ecosystem,” he added.

This year’s conference, themed “Technology Integration and Personalized Care: The Future of Community Pharmacy Practice,” became a platform for stakeholders to critique existing pharmaceutical regulatory frameworks, highlight lapses in the drug distribution system, and push for digital integration as a critical path forward.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, ACPN National Chairman, Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh, criticized the ongoing regulatory overlap between the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), warning that the lack of clarity was stalling progress in the sector.

“NAFDAC must respect the statutory roles of the PCN,” Ezeh said, calling for urgent reforms to safeguard the interests of pharmacists and consumers alike.

Ezeh also commended the Anambra State Government for being the first in the country to implement the Coordinated Wholesale Centres (CWCs) initiative, an effort aimed at sanitizing the chaotic drug distribution system in Nigeria. He called for nationwide replication of the model to eliminate counterfeit and substandard drugs.

Keynote speaker, Prof. Chukwuemeka Michael Ubaka, Commissioner for Health in Imo State, warned that community pharmacists risk being left behind if they do not swiftly adopt digital health technologies.

According to Ubaka, “In this digital age, the most impactful healthcare provider is not the physician but the local pharmacist. The future of universal healthcare depends on how well we empower community pharmacies.”

Prof. Ubaka’s address echoed the World Health Organization’s call for accessible healthcare without financial hardship and placed community pharmacists at the center of health education, chronic disease management, and immunization outreach. He urged pharmacies to transition into digital care hubs capable of providing real-time health data and patient-centered interventions.

Concerns were also raised about gaps in policy implementation, with ACPN leaders demanding better integration of pharmacists into government decision-making bodies. While acknowledging the appointment of pharmacists to key health roles in Anambra, they urged other states to follow suit to bolster healthcare delivery at the grassroots.

Also speaking, PCN Registrar, Pharm. Ahmed Ibrahim Babasheu, confirmed the council’s backing for the Oba CWC project and called for sustained collaboration between pharmacists and other health professionals. “Safe, efficient drug distribution is non-negotiable. We must work together to fix this at the systemic level,” he said.

Pharm. Tanko Ayuba Ibrahim, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), warned that community pharmacists are bearing the brunt of regulatory inconsistencies and fragmented healthcare planning. “The pharmacist is the first point of contact for the average Nigerian. Ignoring them is ignoring healthcare,” he said.

While the conference featured award presentations and goodwill messages, the central tone remained one of advocacy and reform. Stakeholders left with a unified message: if Nigeria hopes to achieve universal health coverage, the country must reposition community pharmacies as strategic digital healthcare centers, not just retail drug outlets.

As Nigeria continues to battle counterfeit drugs, healthcare inaccessibility, and poor health financing, the ACPN conference spotlighted an urgent truth: technology alone will not fix the system unless pharmacists, the most accessible healthcare providers, are given the tools and authority to lead from the front.