The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) have challenged community pharmacists in Nigeria to strengthen medicine safety, embrace global best practices and deepen their contributions to primary healthcare, patient safety and universal health coverage.
The charge was delivered at the 45th Annual International Scientific Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, the Agency’s Director of Narcotics and Controlled Substances, Dr Rametu Momodu, director, Narcotic and Controlled Substances, NAFDAC, described community pharmacists as frontline healthcare providers whose professional decisions have direct implications for patient safety and public health.
She said the conference theme, “From Local Pharmacy Practice to Global Impact: Managing Complex Political Systems,” reflects the expanding role of pharmacists beyond dispensing medicines to promoting safer healthcare systems through pharmacovigilance, patient counselling and the fight against counterfeit medicines.
Momodu noted that community pharmacists are often the first point of healthcare contact for millions of Nigerians, particularly in underserved communities, where they improve medicine adherence, support chronic disease management and promote the rational use of medicines.
She explained that community pharmacies are critical surveillance points within Nigeria’s pharmaceutical supply chain and urged pharmacists to source medicines only from licensed suppliers, reject unregistered products and utilise NAFDAC’s digital tools, including the Green Book, Med Safety App and Scan-to-Verify platform, to strengthen medicine authentication, adverse drug reaction reporting and supply chain transparency.
In his virtual goodwill message, President of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), Mr Paul Sinclair, congratulated ACPN for sustaining one of Africa’s leading pharmacy conferences and reaffirmed the Federation’s support for community pharmacy practice in Nigeria.
He noted that FIP represents more than 460 national organisations and over 5.5 million pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists and pharmacy educators worldwide, describing ACPN as a valued member of the global pharmacy family.
Sinclair observed that healthcare systems are becoming increasingly complex due to changing policies, technological advances and evolving patient needs, but stressed that community pharmacists remain among the most accessible healthcare professionals, providing preventive care, supporting chronic disease management and expanding access to quality healthcare.
He said FIP’s Health and Pharmacy Campaign advocates for pharmacists to be recognised and empowered as essential partners in strengthening health systems, adding that the conference slogan, “Unity 2026,” underscores the need for stronger collaboration among pharmacists, governments, regulators and other healthcare stakeholders.
He encouraged delegates to use the conference to exchange knowledge, share innovative ideas and develop practical solutions that would advance community pharmacy practice in Nigeria and contribute to global healthcare improvement.
The goodwill messages from NAFDAC and FIP underscored the growing importance of community pharmacists in safeguarding medicine quality, strengthening pharmaceutical regulation and advancing resilient, patient-centred healthcare systems through innovation, collaboration and professional excellence.
%20and%20the%20International%20Pharmaceutical%20Federation%20(FIP)%20have%20cha){kind=link}