Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – As Nigeria grapples with limited access to affordable healthcare, pharmacists have renewed calls for formal recognition as frontline healthcare providers ahead of this year’s World Pharmacists Day, themed “Think Health, Think Pharmacy.”
Pharmacists across the country have increasingly become the first point of contact for patients seeking care. Unlike other health professionals, they offer free consultations, immediate medication counseling, and extended accessibility beyond standard clinical hours.
Stakeholders say this makes pharmacists an untapped asset in Nigeria’s overstretched health system.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, National Chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh, and National Secretary, Pharm. Omokhafe Ashore, stressed the need for their role to be formally acknowledged in health policy.
“Pharmacists today are not limited to dispensing drugs. They are public health educators, chronic disease managers, policy contributors, and advocates for medication safety,” the statement read.
To institutionalise these contributions, the ACPN launched “Pharmacy Forward: Performance, Collaboration, and Health Transformation”—a five-tier career progression model from Community Pharmacist to Consultant Pharmacist. The framework aims to professionalise pharmacy practice, retain talent, and align with global best practices.
With the growth of digital health, pharmacists are expanding services through telepharmacy, including virtual consultations and remote adherence support, especially in underserved areas.
The ACPN urged the government to integrate pharmacists into Nigeria’s primary healthcare framework, saying it will strengthen universal health coverage. “When you think of health, think pharmacy—because behind every healthy community is a pharmacist,” Ezeh added.
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Hussaini Ibrahim 
