Health
Medicine procurement: ACPN advocates establishment of drug management agency
The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria has called for the establishment of a Federal Drug Management Agency to strengthen medicine procurement and improve access to essential drugs in the country.
The association made the call in a communiqué issued at the end of its 45th Annual International Scientific Conference, held between July 27 and August 1, 2026, at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The conference, which brought together stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector, was attended by government officials and representatives of major health agencies, as well as leaders of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and ACPN.
In the communiqué signed by the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Ezeh, and National Secretary, Obiageri Ikwu, the pharmacists called on the National Assembly to complete legislative action on pending bills affecting the pharmaceutical sector, including the proposed creation of the Federal Drug Management Agency.
ACPN proposed that the agency should be responsible for coordinating drug procurement through a central pool, to strengthen the system for obtaining medicines.
“Creation of a Federal Drug Management Agency to legalise drug procurement through a central pool, including taking responsibility for the 10% of procurement of essential medicines from the disbursement of the Basic National Healthcare Provision Fund (1% of the consolidated Revenue Fund of the country), rather than continuing to hand over the commonwealth of Nigeria to private profiteers in unsustainable methodologies,” the communique read in part.
The call formed part of a broader set of recommendations by the pharmacists aimed at addressing challenges affecting the pharmaceutical sector and improving healthcare delivery.
The association said healthcare could no longer operate in isolation, noting that its success was increasingly determined by governance, institutional strength, supply chains, public policy, technology, sustainable financing and partnerships across sectors.
ACPN also maintained that achieving universal health coverage required quality, equitable and people-centred health services.
The pharmacists advocated the integration of community pharmacies into primary healthcare, arguing that they could improve access to essential medicines and help manage uncomplicated disease conditions, thereby reducing pressure on secondary and tertiary health facilities.
The association said achieving this integration would require supportive policies, regulatory reforms and sustainable financing.
ACPN further called on community pharmacies to improve documentation and data generation, saying evidence from their activities could support advocacy and contribute to health policy development.
The pharmacists also encouraged pharmacies to expand basic screening services for conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, alongside medication advice.
They proposed innovations that would allow pharmacy-based clinics to provide counselling and advocacy on malaria, antenatal care, family planning, smoking cessation and the use of nutriceuticals.
Beyond medicine procurement, ACPN called for legislative action on the amendment of the Fake Drug Act to regularise drug distribution.
The association also identified the need for stronger collaboration among the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, NAFDAC and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to improve regulatory activities across the pharmaceutical sector.
ACPN said reforms in medicine procurement, distribution and regulation were necessary as the country seeks to strengthen its pharmaceutical system and improve access to healthcare for Nigerians.
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