ABUJA — The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Federal Government to urgently adopt a nationwide ‘Pharmacy First’ protocol, positioning community pharmacies as frontline centres for the early identification of suspected Ebola cases and other infectious disease outbreaks.
The association stated that Nigeria could significantly strengthen its epidemic preparedness by integrating community pharmacists into the national disease surveillance system. Leveraging their widespread presence, the ACPN noted, would improve early detection, facilitate timely referrals, and relieve pressure on overstretched secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities.
In a position statement issued following a press conference and signed by its National Chairman, Pharm. Ezeh Ambrose, the ACPN urged federal and state health authorities to formally recognise community pharmacies as critical partners in epidemic surveillance and primary healthcare delivery.
The association maintained that deploying the proposed protocol across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas would bring early symptom identification closer to citizens, particularly in underserviced communities with limited access to conventional medical centres.
“We consider it necessary to sensitise and mobilise the Federal Government to approve specific investment plans to leverage the Pharmacy First Initiative as a front-line Ebola detection protocol, which stands as one of the best mechanisms to catalyse Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria,” the statement read.
Expanding Frontline Healthcare Roles
According to the ACPN, the initiative aims to expand community pharmacy practice beyond dispensing medications to include early symptom recognition, health education, basic screening, and prompt referral of individuals showing signs of Ebola or other infectious diseases.
By serving as accessible first-contact points, structured community pharmacies can help identify suspected cases early and direct patients to designated medical facilities for clinical evaluation and testing.
The ACPN added that the model would strengthen referral pathways, support contact-tracing efforts, and ensure individuals suspected of carrying highly infectious diseases receive timely guidance on isolation, thereby mitigating cross-contamination risks in crowded hospital waiting rooms.
“At the centre of strategising for epidemic response and Universal Health Coverage, governments at all levels must structure community pharmacies to provide first-line Ebola screening and Primary Health Care services… which ultimately reduces the burden of services on secondary and tertiary health facilities,” the statement noted.
To meet these expanding public health duties, the ACPN urged community pharmacists nationwide to raise operational standards, embrace modern practice models, and invest in facility upgrades supporting Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP).
