Health
Community pharmacists expand family planning access
Community pharmacists are expanding access to modern contraceptives across the country by bringing family planning services closer to women and empowering them to make informed reproductive choices as Nigeria intensifies efforts to achieve its 27 per cent target for modern contraceptive use by 2030. IDOWU ABDULLAHI reports
With her hands already full with caring for her three children, Mrs Hauwa Aliyu knew she was not ready for another pregnancy.
Beyond caring for the children and managing their home in the Maimadi area of Bauchi State, she sells ‘Fura da Nono’ (mashed millet ball mixed with fermented cow milk) daily to make ends meet.
With day-to-day stress, the 32-year-old wanted to give her body time to recover from childbearing and give her family the chance to plan for the future.
For months, she kept postponing her visit to the family planning clinic because of limited time, the distance to the facility, and possible waiting hours.
After her last child turned one in December 2025, she walked into an accredited community pharmacy near her home to ask about available family planning methods and settled for the 13-week long-acting reversible injectable contraceptive.
“I sell from Monday to Saturday, so I don’t really have time to visit the clinic for family planning. I know I need it because adding another child will really strain us financially.
“Since I knew I had to do something, I considered the community pharmacy in my area. Going to the pharmacy made it easier because it was close to me, and I was able to speak freely with the pharmacist.
“After the discussion, it was the injection method that was more suitable for me, and I went with the option of once every three months. That’s how I was able to start it there,” she told PUNCH Healthwise.
Unplanned night
28-year-old Rofiat Itunu woke up worried after a night of sexual romp she had not planned for, and the thought of an unplanned pregnancy weighed heavily on her.
With no plans of becoming pregnant anytime soon, the Ilasa-based Lagos State resident decided to get an emergency contraception pill in a community pharmacy near her home.
She was initially nervous about asking for the pills, but the pharmacist allayed her fears, explained how it works, when it should be taken, and what she should expect afterwards.
“I was worried because I don’t want to get pregnant yet. I walked into the pharmacy to get it like normal medicine because I’m old enough to have sex, so there’s no shame in buying emergency contraceptives.
“The only disadvantage is that it messes up with my menstrual cycle, but it’s better than ending up with an unwanted pregnancy,” the Online travel manager told PUNCH Healthwise.
She explained that the pharmacist advised her to consider a suitable ongoing method if she wanted to avoid similar anxiety, and seek appropriate medical checks in hospitals if concerns persist over her menstrual cycle.
Usman and Itunnu’s experiences point to a growing role of community pharmacists in bringing family planning services closer to women who need it.
Across some states in the country, trained community pharmacists (CPs) are increasingly becoming an accessible point for women seeking information, counselling and family planning services.
Their proximity to communities, PUNCH Healthwise’s findings show, is now driving demand generation and uptake of modern contraceptives among women, particularly those in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
Community pharmacists closing unmet needs
Modern contraceptive methods include the use of pills, injectables, implants, male and female condoms, and male sterilisation and emergency contraception.
The World Health Organisation says the use of contraception advances the human right of people to determine the number and spacing of their children. It added that access to contraception reduces unplanned pregnancies and lowers the risk of unsafe abortions—one of the leading causes of maternal death.
However, evidence shows that the unmet need for family planning in Nigeria has remained high despite numerous policies and programmes aimed at generating demand.
The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2023–2024) puts the contraceptive prevalence rate at 20 per cent among currently married women and 50 per cent among sexually active unmarried women. Only 15 per cent of married women and 38 per cent of sexually active unmarried women use a modern contraceptive method.
Among married women, implants (6 per cent) and injectables (4 per cent) are the most commonly used modern methods, while among sexually active unmarried women, male condoms (26 per cent) and withdrawal (9 per cent) are most used.
To change the narrative, Nigeria plans to achieve a Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate of 27 per cent to meet the Family Planning 2030 (FP2030) target.
FP2030 is a global partnership supporting women’s and girls’ reproductive rights. It aims to empower women and girls to lead healthy lives and make informed choices about contraceptive use.
Nigeria missed the initial FP target set for 2020, partly due to the government’s failure to fund the programme, thereby hindering progress. FP 2020 goal was to enable 120 million additional women and girls of reproductive age globally to have access to contraceptives by the year 2020.
After the missed deadline, the FP 2020 target indicators show that Nigeria has only 12 per cent MCPR for women.
With shortages of health workers and the need to meet the FP2030 target, community pharmacists were integrated into FPS providers as part of the Task-Shifting and Task-Sharing policy, which allows trained CPs to offer FP services.
Under the TSTS policy, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, and 11 State Governments allow selected and trained CPs to provide expanded FP services like implants, injectables, oral & emergency contraceptives to Nigerians.
The expanded FP service is being driven by initiatives like IntegrateE, a project implemented by a consortium led by the Society for Family Health, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others, which focuses on using community pharmacies and patent and proprietary medicine vendors to make family planning services more accessible to women.
1,255,912 women have been reached with family planning services, while 863 CPs and 4,961 PPMVs have been trained through the 24 PCN-accredited schools and Colleges of Health Technology across 10 states in Nigeria, according to SFH.
Through trained pharmacies that are already present within communities, PUNCH findings reveal that women now have easier access to FP information, counselling and approved contraceptive services, while those who need further medical attention are referred to appropriate health facilities.
Taking reproductive control through CPs
After repeatedly missing her daily contraception pill, 25-year-old Mrs Salamatu Thairu decided she needed a method that would fit better into her life.
The Kaduna-based mother of four wanted something she could take less often, without the constant worry of forgetting a dose.
She discussed the injectable option with her husband, and the couple went to a community pharmacy to ask about it.
“I kept missing the pills because it had to do with timing. So, I went with my husband to ask about the injectable because I need to rest and have sex in peace.
“I wanted a method that I was sure would last longer without me taking daily pills. I had to get the injectables. I realised it’s my body and health, and since the pharmacy is not far from me, it was an easy decision,” Thairu, who is a full housewife, told PUNCH Healthwise.
Also sharing her experience, Enugu State-based Mrs Blessing John explained that her community pharmacist helped her understand her chosen contraceptive method and what to do if she experienced concerns.
“I did not feel judged. I was able to ask questions freely, and the pharmacist explained things in a way I understood.
“I chose the long-lasting implant contraceptive, and I have been on it for the past two years,” the roadside food seller said.
Another Kaduna resident, Mrs Grace Nura, said the proximity of an accredited community pharmacy made seeking FPS something she did not have to do alone.
When she decided to get a contraceptive method, her husband offered to go with her to the pharmacy close to their home.
She said, “I went to the pharmacy with my husband, and he has been quite supportive. The first time I sought the service was in 2023, and I remember he went with me and stayed outside.
“After discussion with the pharmacist, I went to collect the money from my husband, who was waiting outside. It was the injectable method I’ve been using, and any time I go for my injection, my husband waits for me outside.”
Driving FP uptake
PUNCH Healthwise’s findings reveal that community pharmacists are helping to make FPSs easier to access by bringing counselling and modern contraceptive options closer to women in their communities.
The presence of community pharmacists in neighbourhood and remote areas across the country also gives women a convenient place to seek information and ask questions about their reproductive health.
Experts say community pharmacists are helping to bridge gaps in access by providing women with accurate information, counselling and appropriate family planning services.
Several community pharmacists who spoke with PUNCH Healthwise in different geopolitical zones of the country explained that women often approach community pharmacists for family planning services because they already trust them for other healthcare needs.
The Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists, Lagos chapter, Pharm. Tolu Ajayi, explained that community pharmacies are the most easily accessible among healthcare providers, not just in Nigeria, but all over the world.
“The fact that Nigerians have access to someone (trained community pharmacists) who is competent and knowledgeable about family planning services makes it easy for them to be able to open up and discuss their issues.
“So, when we look at family planning and fertility-related issues, community pharmacies have those competencies, and we partner with organisations like IntegrateE and the Society for Family Health for the provision of periodic training and updates on family planning methods. That makes it easy for Nigerians generally to be able to access top-notch counselling on safe and suitable family planning methods to adopt,” he said.
Through Balance Call Cards, Ajayi said CPs counsel their clients and ensure people make “informed choices about what type of family planning method to adopt”.
He said the integration of CPs as FPS providers has driven uptake of modern contraceptives in Lagos, and in Nigeria generally.
“Absolutely, yes. There is more access to information and definitely more uptake of contraceptive methods available because now people are more informed about the benefits of family planning and the fact that they can also access it with minimal stress. So, the involvement of community pharmacies has brought in more uptake among women in Lagos, and Nigeria generally,” he said.
Ajayi added, “So, the access is there, the trust is there, the knowledge is there, the availability is there, and the community pharmacists are just rightly positioned to create value in that regard.”
Giving options
Speaking with PUNCH Healthwise, a former Lagos ACPN chairman, Mrs Abiola Paul-Ozieh, said Nigerians, particularly women, are able to choose family planning options through community pharmacists.
She listed options available through CPs to include barrier methods, which are both male and female condoms; contraceptive pills for daily use; emergency contraceptives; injectables for administration by trained pharmacists; implants for administration by trained pharmacists; and cycle beads.
“I think several users come to community pharmacies because of easy accessibility to emergency contraceptives, condoms and pills. However, emergency contraceptives are not indicated for long-term contraception,” the seasoned pharmacist said.
Corroborating Paul-Ozieh, another community pharmacist, Abosede Garba, said many women, including adolescents, now find it easier to access modern contraceptives in community pharmacies.
“They walk in, and then they come to either ask for oral contraceptive pills, or they ask for injectables, or they ask for emergency pills.
“The emergency pills are very rampant, especially among younger ladies and even married women, of course, but more with younger ladies. Those are the ones that they actually come for at the community pharmacies,” the Kaduna-based trained FPS provider told PUNCH Healthwise.
Staying within limit
The Chairman, Ebonyi ACPN chapter, Edobor Derek, explained that while trained community pharmacists provide FPSs, they remain within the limits of their approved training and regulatory scope.
He said trained CPs provide expanded FPSs, including oral contraceptives, emergency contraception, injectables and, where specifically authorised and properly trained, implants.
He added that procedures requiring further assessment or services outside CPs’ scope are referred to PHCs or secondary health facilities.
Derek said, “Then there are a few that actually come for the devices (intrauterine devices, IUDs). And for those devices, definitely it cannot be done in the pharmacy. So we now refer them to family planning clinics.
“Because we cannot work in isolation. Pharmacists have their role. Doctors have their role. Nurses have their role. The lab experts have their role and all that. So we refer when it comes to that,” he said.
Alluding to their scope of practice, Garba said, “We’re supposed to be providing implants as well because we’re trained to do that. But by Pharmacy Council regulation, pharmacies are not allowed to use a couch.
“So, most times, we refer them to the government-funded primary healthcare facility that is around for implants.”
Managing side effects
Paul-Ozieh, who is the Chairman of the Healthcare Providers Association of Nigeria, Lagos, explained that CPs also help women who experience side effects or complications after using a contraceptive method.
“Community pharmacists help women who experience side effects or complications by the deployment of appropriate counselling before initiation and after uptake. Women are supposed to be counselled before commencing use of any form of contraception.
“When side effects or complications arise, there are those that are minor and just require reassurance on their safety, and the CP can take care of that; and those that are more intense, as side effects may require referral to a PHC or secondary health facility,” she said.
‘80 patients monthly’
Furthermore, Garba explained that from her register, not fewer than 80 women come to access FPSs in her pharmacy, which is accredited for the service.
“If I’m to go by my record, because we do fill this combined Community Health Management Information System form. So, if I’m to go by that record, I will say that on a monthly basis, up to about 80 women come to access family planning services,” she said.
She noted that with rising awareness, many women, including those in remote areas, are now shunning tradition to seek modern contraceptives.
“In fact, the awareness is becoming very obvious now. Before, they used religion and culture to cover a lot of things, but women are becoming very aware now. They want to take possession of their bodies. They want to look better, so they want to do everything to make sure that they take care of themselves.
“So now they come in themselves to access these commodities. Before, a woman would not even ordinarily come to say, ‘I want to buy a condom’. It’s the men that come. But now you see women coming to get condoms for themselves, and you’d see they are the same people who come for the oral contraceptive pills.
“Some of them hear this information from their friends and later come on their own. Some of them even go behind their partners because sometimes, culture has a way of causing a lot of issues, but most of them are taking possession of their health now and helping themselves, irrespective of whatever anybody says.
“What I’m saying is, people are gaining control of their health now, so they’re looking for better ways to improve themselves in terms of their health. So, that’s what I noticed, especially in my own environment,” she said.
Challenges persist
However, Paul-Ozieh explained that despite access provided by community pharmacies, challenges persist.
She listed lack of awareness among young women of the availability and suitability of the various contraception methods, myths about the side effects of contraception, and sometimes, stockouts of injectables.
“The challenges of a number of women not adopting standard contraception methods for long-term use; rather, using emergency contraceptives all the time.
“There are also the challenges of clients preferring PHCs to community pharmacies because of the cost implications at community pharmacies. At the PHCs, family planning services are free,” the HCPAN Lagos chairman said.
Demand for ‘PHCs status’
To drive more uptake, the ACPN Chairman, Akwa Ibom branch, Donatus Adigom, stressed the need for formal recognition of community pharmacies and PHCs.
“Nigeria, as a country, needs to formally recognise community pharmacies as primary healthcare facilities.
“Inasmuch as it is in progress, there has not yet been formal recognition of community pharmacies as primary healthcare facilities, just like in developed countries, because if you go to developed countries, some of these services are now well recognised as services that can be accessed at community pharmacies,” he said.
PUNCH Healthwise reports that the advocacy for recognition of pharmacies as PHCs is not new.
In 2025, the ACPN urged the FG to officially designate community pharmacies across the country as PHCs
The ACPN insisted that pharmacists remain the most accessible healthcare professionals and play a pivotal role in national health delivery.
The ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Ezeh, noted that in most communities, the pharmacist is the first point of contact for patients, providing immediate, professional, and reliable interventions for individuals and families.
According to him, this level of accessibility gives pharmacists a unique advantage in delivering free consultations, counselling on medication safety, guidance on potential side effects, monitoring drug interactions, and ensuring patients adhere to treatment regimens.
“Pharmacists are trusted healthcare professionals who stand at the intersection of medical expertise, public health, and patient-centred care.
“Across Nigeria, people walk into community pharmacies without appointments, yet they leave with health education, reassurance, and appropriate guidance. This is why community pharmacies deserve official recognition as Primary Health Care Centres,” Ezeh said to mark the 2025 World Pharmacist Day.
We have numbers to expand access – ACPN
Meanwhile, the ACPN national chairman said that with over 12,000 members, the association has the capacity and workforce required to expand access to FPSs across the country.
Speaking exclusively to PUNCH Healthwise, Ezeh stressed that community pharmacists can play a greater role in addressing the unmet need for contraception.
He added that with appropriate training, clear regulatory guidelines and effective referral systems, community pharmacists could complement the efforts of other healthcare professionals in providing safe and quality FPSs.
“For a while, the Society for Family Health has been working with community pharmacists to expand family planning by training CPs so that people can access modern contraceptives from CPs. A lot of our members are presently engaged in it.
“Presently, there are pilot states where this is ongoing, where community pharmacies are counselling people on the adoption of modern contraceptives like condoms and contraceptive pills, implants, and other modern methods that can prevent unwanted pregnancy.
“As it stands, the Federal Government is not fully utilising the potential of community pharmacists because, as pharmacists, I believe in preventive therapy instead of corrective therapy. There are a lot of benefits to benefit from full utilisation of CPs, especially with the task-sharing/task-shifting policy.
“There is a lot that CPs can do if they are recognised as PHCs because they are more accessible and have relationships within their various host communities and we are the most trusted healthcare providers within the value chain,” the ACPN national chair said.
He urged FG to leverage the existing CPs workforce to improve access to modern contraceptives across Nigeria.
“Yes, it can be extended to other states because we are more than 12,000 members across the 36 states and FCT. It should be extended to all the states because it will go a long way in helping to prevent unwanted pregnancy and reduce the burden of maternal mortality.
“We are ready to assist the FG in that capacity. Such extension would also help in data generation and provide reports that can help the government in decision-making and policy formulation,” he said.
Meanwhile, efforts to get comment from the PCN Registrar, Pharm Ibrahim Ahmed, on plans to integrate more CPs to safely and effectively provide family planning services to drive greater uptake proved abortive.
Repeated calls to Ahmed’s mobile phone went unanswered, while messages sent to him on WhatsApp were not replied to.
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